Travel News

State Dept Issues Warden Message For Thailand 

This message alerts U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Thailand that political demonstrations by the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (aka UDD or "red-shirts") are expected to begin in Bangkok towards the end of this week and could last well into next week.  The main demonstration is expected to occur near Government House and along Ratchadamnoen Road in the Dusit district of Bangkok, but the UDD has also announced plans for demonstrations in other parts of town.  As a result, traffic congestion and difficulty of movement is possible throughout Bangkok.   U.S. citizens should be alert to the possibility of UDD demonstrations or gatherings elsewhere in Thailand as well.  Therefore, U.S. citizens should, particularly over the March 12-14 weekend, pay close attention to public sources of information, including media reporting and the U.S. Embassy website, concerning events on the streets of Bangkok and should be aware of their surroundings at all times.  The Thai government has invoked its Internal Security Act, in force from this morning until March 23, restricting movement around Bangkok, and giving police and soldiers sweeping powers to detain protesters and shut down parts of the city.  Fears are growing that  massive anti-government protests, which organizers claim could bring up to a million people on to the streets of the Thai capital, will turn violent.  This week a cache of weapons, including rifles, ammunition and grenades were stolen from an army base in Thailand's south and it has been reported the weapons are already in Bangkok weapons, including rifles, ammunition and grenades, from an army base in Thailand's south. It has been reported that the weapons are already in Bangkok.  Anti-government 'red shirt' protesters have not ruled out seizing control of Bangkok's international airport, as happened during demonstrations by their yellow-shirted opponents two years ago.  Already, police and soldiers are manning the airport, as well as key intersections and train stations in the city, while barricades and razor-wire fences are being erected outside key government buildings.  The Australian government yesterday issued an advisory on travel to Bangkok.

Air Canada Had An Unusual Reason For Delaying A Flight

The airline was forced to delay a flight from Vancouver during the final hockey game because passengers were watching the end of the game on airport televisions and ignored repeated calls to board the flight.  "We incurred a flight delay for a reason Air Canada had not yet encountered in over 72 years of existence," chief executive Calin Rovinescu told a business gathering.  I saw this happen in Newark during the Super Bowl game this year. Passengers were watching the game and were ignoring requests to board. 

France Wants Changes To Black Boxes

Investigators of the Air France Crash of Flight 447 into the Atlantic want accident and aviation agencies from 44 other European countries to ask the International Civil Aviation Organization to change the way planes transmit information while flying over oceans. The hope is to prevent airliners from vanishing without leaving clues about what happened.  The flight data recorder boxes for Air France Flight 447 were never recovered. Two searches of the Atlantic have failed to find the flight data and cockpit voice recorders and without that data, investigators cannot determine why the plane, an Airbus 330, crashed.  The French Investigators want the international aviation group to consider requiring commercial airliners to regularly send basic flight information like direction, altitude, speed and location to some receiver off the airplane. Over the last 20 years, aircraft in flight have been sending out increasing kinds and amounts of information, though transmitting a great deal of data and equipping older airplanes with the technology to do so will be expensive.  The report

also recommends that the international aviation group change the standards for black boxes so that their locator beacons have a wider range and a functioning life of three months rather than the current one month.  Underwater searches were required for 26 aviation accidents over the last 30 years and the searches lasted from three days to 77 days.  Air France Flight 447 is the only commercial airplane crash in which neither recorder has been found, despite an estimated $40 million in spending on searches involving the navies of France, Brazil and the United States.

Compagnie du Ponant To refocus On North American Market

The upscale French-flagged small ship cruise company is opening a dedicated sales office in Miami.  The company owns three yachts and ships with a new vessel coming in May.  The company wants agents to become more familiar with them and is increasing its marketing efforts.  The company has been selling cruises through tour operators like Tauck World Discovery and Abercrombie & Kent. Those companies will continue to offer cruises and charters, but now agents can book individual cruises and the line's ships will be offer meetings and incentives sailings as well.  Compagnie du Ponant is increasing its marketing

efforts with the travel agency distribution system.  The three-masted Le Ponant, the Le Levant yacht and the ice-class expedition ship Le Diamant all sail to ports in Europe and the Caribbean and even Greenland, Antarctica and the Maldives. The line's newest vessel, the 264-foot mega-yacht Le Boréal, will be christened in May, and sister ship, L'Austral will debut in May 2011.  Compagnie du Ponant is a division of CMA CGM, the world's third largest shipping group. On the French-flagged cruise line, all the captains and officers are French and all speak fluent English, as does the rest of the crew.

News is courtesy of ARTA Online.

China Plans International Rail Network

London's Daily Telegraph reports the journey from London to Beijing by rail could take just two days under a Chinese plan to build an international network for trains that can travel almost as fast as aircraft.  Three networks are planned, with the Britain to China route to be extended to Singapore, and built within a decade.  A second route would travel to the north of China and through Russia and on to Germany, where the network would join the European railway system.  A third network would extend south through Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and Malaysia.  The trains are expected to travel at more than 320 km/h.  'We are aiming for the trains to run almost as fast as airplanes,' a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering said.  Last year China unveiled the world's fastest train, the Harmony Express, which can reach 350 km/h.  China recently tested a train at 380 km/h and had made a 1000-kilometre journey in two hours 50 minutes.

Nationwide Strikes To Shut Down Greece Tomorrow

The strikes will shut down all public services, closing schools, and custom and tax offices, halting public transit and grounding flights for 24 hours.  The Greeks are protesting the government's austerity measures designed to curb the country's massive debt and save it from bankruptcy.   The government is cutting civil servants salaries, frozen pensions and increased taxes affecting fuel and the general sales tax.  The debt has affected the euro causing it to drop against other currencies.  Workers will walk off their job at midnight tonight.  The air traffic controllers are taking part in the strike, effectively grounding all flights in and out of the country.

Nationwide Strike to Affect Italy Friday

A nationwide general strike is scheduled to take place on 12 March and is expected to impact transportation throughout Italy, including rail, air and local transport. The CGIL labor union called for the strike over issues related to labor, taxation and immigration. Each transport sector strike will last for four hours, but strikes in some other sectors may last for the entire day. Airport personnel are expected to strike from 1000 to 1400 local time.  Workers with Italy's primary rail operator, Trenitalia, will strike from 1400 to 1800 local time. Local transport workers will stage four-hour strikes at various times, depending on the location. In Rome, the local transport strike will take place from 0930 to 1330 local time. Other public services not related to transportation will also likely be affected, and demonstrations and public protests related to the strike may cause disruptions as well.

Iberia Cabin Crew Threatening To Strike

The strike concerns the airline's intention to start up a new airline this year that would pay cabin crew lower wages.   The new airline would employ some 350 staff and operate 14 aircraft, and is viewed as an attempt by the Spanish flag carrier to sidestep union resistance to cost cuts. Other Spanish unions have accused the national flag carrier of copying British Airways in its attempt to cut costs. Iberia and British Airways expect to complete their merger later this month.   The deal would see both airlines operating as separate divisions within a UK-based holding company.

Ryandam Gets Signature of Excellence Enhancements

The ship has just received the latest Signature of Excellence enhancements.  These include a new lounge called Mix, a Showroom at Sea with several new productions, the complimentary Italian eatery Canaletto, and a completely new stateroom and bath design. Canaletto appears when a section of the Lido is transformed with glass partitions and an Italian ambiance. Mix is a reconfiguration of the Casino and Piano bars.  The casino was redesigned, and the main show lounge was transformed into the Showroom at Sea with the ambience of a glamorous nightclub and a new slate of shows.  All of the ship's staterooms received new carpeting, soft goods and completely renovated bathrooms with new vanities and cabinetry. Sixteen staterooms near the spa (on the Verandah deck) became spa staterooms, featuring a variety of enhanced amenities. Each offers exclusive items such as organic cotton bathrobes and slippers, yoga mats, water fountains, and special room service menus and treatments.

News is courtesy of ARTA Online.

Strong Aftershock Hits Concepcion

The aftershock, measuring 6.3 struck Chili's quake-stricken city of Concepcion.  The U.S. Geological Survey says the aftershock hit at 6:19 a.m. local time, this morning. People in Concepcion, ran out of buildings in their nightclothes.  Dozens of aftershocks have been recorded in Chile since Saturday's 8.8-magnitude quake.

United Breaks Guitars Video Is Now Out

This is the last in a trilogy of Dave Caroll's songs mocking United Airlines.  He is the one who watched United employees toss around his guitar on the tarmac and break it.  United refused to do anything about it so he wrote his now famous song United Breaks Guitars and promised two more songs.  This was his revenge.  8 million watched his first video. Needless to say United then offered to fix his guitar.  The new video contains Caroll's own assessment of how the project worked out.  See it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=P45E0uGVyeg 

Cherry Blossom Festival to Start March 27

The National Cherry Blossom Festival takes place in Washington starting March 27 and runs through April 8.  This is Washington's greatest springtime festival and runs over three weekends. The National Park Service announced that the cherry trees lining the Tidal Basin are forecasted to hit their peak bloom April 3-8 and Destination DC, the city's official convention and Tourism Corporation is inviting travelers to experience spring beauty in the nation's capital by booking cherry blossom and spring break-themed getaways.   Many hotels have special packages for the festival and more than 70 D.C. restaurants offer

"Cherry Picks," themed menu-items flavored with cherries.  For more information go to

http://.www.Nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

Airports Are Getting Body Scanners

Boston Logan received its first scanner this week and will get two more next week.  All will be installed in the same terminal.  Los Angeles, Charlotte and Chicago O'Hare are also getting the scanners.   Eleven airports will begin using the scanners during the next two years.  The TSA bought 150 scanners last year and will take delivery of 300 more this year and 500 next year.  The scanners are 9 feet long and 6½ feet wide, much larger than metal detectors. They are much larger and slower than the metal detectors now in use and some airport officials are concerned.  They have to be monitored very closely because they can slow down lines very quickly.  About half of nearly 40 airports that answered a survey last month by the Airports Council International said their security checkpoints are too small to handle the machines.  Metal detectors will still be available and passengers who want to avoid scanners can opt to go through a metal detector and be hand-searched by a screener.  

American Flight Attendants want to strike

The attendants say contract talks have stalled after 20 months and want federal mediators to start a 30-day countdown to a possible strike.  The Association of Professional Flight Attendants said it would ask the National Mediation Board to declare an impasse after a five-day session ended yesterday with no agreement. The union also will ask its 16,550 members to authorize a walkout. The National Mediation Board does not have to grant the request if it believes progress can be made in further negotiations.

Alitalia to Offer Premium Economy

The airline will launch service on select intercontinental routes starting in August.  The service will be on new Airbus A330 aircraft used on nonstop flights from the US to Milan.  There will be increased baggage benefits as one bag can weigh up to 70 pounds vs. 50lbs in economy.  There will be dedicated check-in desks, an exclusive cabin of just 21 seats in three rows with seats 20.1 inches wide (20% wider than economy) with a built in leg rest.  The seats will have a 38" pitch (25% more than economy) a 10.6" screen (9" in economy) with Personal Entertainment System, an amenity kit, a welcome drink and hotel towel.  There are also USB plugs to charge computers.  The service will be available from New York to Milan August 10.

Caribbean Airlines to Take Over Air Jamaica Next Month

The Jamaican government will hand over operations of Air Jamaica to Caribbean Airlines on April 12.  This is also the date the airline will start its summer schedule.  Caribbean Airlines will be financially responsible for the carrier's operation after the transaction date. Air Jamaica will continue to operate with its existing fleet under contract to Caribbean Airlines for six months to a year.  Travel agents will see no changes in booking procedures or schedules and the JM airline code remains the same for now.  Air Jamaica tickets already processed for flights booked after April 12 are in force and are valid. All Air Jamaica employee positions will be made redundant and a new company will be created to hire the required personnel under fixed-term contracts with Caribbean Airlines.  Caribbean Airlines is the national airline of Trinidad & Tobago, and is wholly-owned by that country's government.

Star Princess Still in Valparaiso

The ship is still at anchor in Valparaiso, two days after it was scheduled to embark.  There was about 1,200 passengers onboard the ship this morning.  It was scheduled to leave at noon today but has not yet received the go-ahead from Chilean immigration.  The scheduled itinerary has been revised and shortened by two days (so far).  Calls at Punta Arenas and the Faulklands have been dropped as has a scenic cruise by of Cape Horn.  The ship will arrive in Rio on March 16.  Those who were able to board the ship in Valparaiso will receive per-diem refunds in the form of onboard credit to make up for first two days of the sailing, which were lost, and to help offset pre-cruise hotel and meal costs incurred by passengers during the embarkation delay. Those who plan to catch up with the sailing in a port of call that comes later on the itinerary will be given the same offer of per-diem onboard credit, based on the cruise fare paid and the date on which they join the voyage.  Those who choose to cancel their booking for this sailing altogether should call their travel care providers to file claims for refunds. Those with travel protection from Princess will receive credit for a future sailing. However, Princess' policy is that the line does not provide full refunds to passengers without travel protection if circumstances (like the earthquake and resulting airport issues) are beyond the line's control.  The Santiago airport is still not fully operational.  Air Canada is back to operating their five weekly flights via Buenos Aries.

News is courtesy of ARTA Online.

YOTEL to Open First Non-Airport Location in NYC

YOTEL will open a new capsule hotel in New York City in 2011, its first non-airport location.  The hotel will have 669 capsule rooms and will be the largest hotel to open in the city in 2011.  The hotel will feature a restaurant, bar, meeting rooms, Club Lounge and the largest outside terrace space of any hotel in the city.  Each en-suite cabin offers 170sqft of space and features YOTEL's signature 'techno wall' with flat screen TV.  The hotel will be located in Times Square at 42nd Street and 10th Avenue.  It will be part of Related Company's 1.2 million sq. ft. complex which includes rental units and the Signature Theatre.  A YOTEL room is bookable by the hour, 24 hours a day.  Other YOTEL hotels are located at Gatwick's South Terminal, Terminal 4 at Heathrow and Schiphol airside transit area.

Passport and Visa Fees to Increase

The fee for a US Passport will increase to $135 for a first-time passport and $110 for a renewal. 

The passport is good for 10 years.  It will also cost to get extra pages in your passport if needed.

The extra pages will cost $82.  The Bureau of Consular Affairs is taking public comments through

March 9.  You can submit comments to

http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#submitComment?R=0900006480a8ffe8  

Visa fees for foreigners wanting to visit the US will rise to $150  

Limited Service to Santiago

LAN resumed limited domestic and international service from Santiago yesterday.  Operations will be handled in two phases.  In the first phase flights will arrive and depart between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and this phase will last until Friday.  All international arrivals during this period will have a stopover in an alternate Chilean city prior to landing in Santiago for passengers to clear Chilean customs and immigration control. The airport and the airline have set up a temporary tent facility outside the terminal area to process departing passengers.  The airline said it was working to resume just 15% of its domestic and international operations.  Until Friday the airline will focus on transferring passengers affected by cancellations.  Then the airline will focus on getting back to normal.  The second phase, which starts on Saturday, will have domestic and international flights running 24 hours a day.  Domestic arrivals and departures will continue to operate out of the temporary terminal while international departures will move to the domestic terminal. International arrivals will clear Chilean customs and immigration formalities in the makeshift facility outside the terminal.  Turismo Chile recommends that passengers contact their airlines for flight schedules and changes.

Report Says Airlines Do Not Do Enough Recycling

Delta scored the highest as it recycles some 20% of its trash.  Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic and

Southwest are also recycling about 20% but the report says they could recycle 75% of their trash.  United and US Airways do the worst job of recycling. The report was issued by ResponsibleShopper.org.  The report admitted the airlines are taking steps to reduce their waste but they could do much more.  They could recycle nearly 500 million more tons of waste each year, including 250 million tons of in-flight waste.  No airline recycles all its aluminum cans, glass, plastic or paper.  The report also said "No airline has a comprehensive program for minimizing or composting food waste or waste from snack packages, provides good public information about their recycling program, or reports out on progress in relation to any stated goals." Snacks are over-packaged as are meals and no airline is working with manufacturers to reduce the waste.  The Green America airline recycling rankings are (from best to worst): Delta

Airlines, Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic, Southwest Airlines, Continental Airlines, Jet Blue, American Airlines, British Airways, Air Tran, United Airlines, and US Airways.

United Airlines to Fly To Accra

United will become the second US airline to service Africa after Delta when United starts daily service from Dulles to Accra on June 20.  The two airlines will be the only US airlines to offer flights to six continents.

Star Princess to Spend another Night in Valparaiso

The ship will now depart Valparaiso tomorrow after a two-day stay.  Princess said passengers were having problems getting in and out of Santiago.  Staying another night will give passengers more time to either stay on board waiting for a flight or time to arrive for their cruise.  The ship will sail at noon tomorrow.  Passengers on the just-ended cruise who are unable to fly home as planned will be able to stay on the Star Princess until it leaves Thursday or during the next cruise. They may disembark from any of the ports of call, up to and including Buenos Aires.  The cruise will call in Ushuaia, Montevideo and Buenos Aires before ending in Rio de Janeiro on March 16.

Report From An Agent Who Has Clients On The Star Princess.

The client said the dock was damaged and the ship is anchored offshore.  The ship will remain at anchor until Thursday while dock is repaired.  Princess has announced onboard a very reasonable rate for passengers who want to stay on board and go back around to Buenos Aires, according to the client. Others of course were to fly out today or Wednesday or Thursday from Santiago...lots of those being people who used miles for the flights.  At one point, our client thought they would need to take the Buenos Aires option, if the Santiago airport could not open, so the agency backed them up with a room reservation in Buenos Aires for the night they would need there.  That was cancelled once it seemed fairly certain the Santiago airport can be open by Friday.  The client says the ship is in bedlam with people trying to make arrangements...and she commented that those without travel agents are in the worst shape.  She is very grateful that they always use a travel agent!

NCL to Scrap SS United States?

NCL's parent company Genting Hong Kong (formerly Star Cruises Limited), through its subsidiary, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), are currently collecting bids from scrappers.  The ship is currently laid up at Philadelphia.  A message from the SS United States Conservancy saying the ship could be destroyed was sent earlier this week to all members.  The ship still holds the world's speed record set on her maiden voyage in 1952.  She sailed from 1952 through 1969, carrying passengers between the US and Europe.  The ship's current owners listed the vessel for sale in February, 2009.  NCL offered the Conservancy first right of refusal on the vessel's sale, but the Conservancy has not been in a financial position to purchase the ship outright. However, the Conservancy has been working diligently to lay the groundwork for a public-private partnership to save and sustain the ship for generations to come. The cruise has been covering the costs to maintain the ship since buying it in 2003.  The Conservancy's new national campaign is titled "Save Our Ship" (SOS) and offers a "Plank Owner" certificate for tax-deductible donations of at least $25 via its new donor website: www.ssusplankowner.org.  

News is courtesy of ARTA Online.

Turismo Chile Issues Statement

Turismo Chile issued a statement to the tourism industry on the effects of the 8.8 earthquake on the tourism industry.  The report said the cities closest to the epicenter of the quake, including Concepcion, Talcahuano and Temuco, and a number of small towns along Chile's central coast, were most affected by the quake.  The northern part of Chile's Lakes and Volcanoes region, around the city of Concepcion and the Bio River, was most affected by the quake and authorities are still working on assessing the full damage. Basic essential services including water, electricity and telecommunications are gradually being restored. The southern part of the Lakes and Volcanoes region was not affected by the quake. Operations in popular tourist towns including Pucon, Puerto Varas and Puerto Mont are reported to be normal.  Electricity and phone lines have been restored in Santiago and the city's public transportation including its metro is fully operational. Valparaiso and Viña del Mar have also reported damage.  The desert region in the north of Chile and the Patagonia region in the far south were not affected by the quake and have not reported any damage. 

Vancouver Empties Out

Vancouver's International Airport was ready for the huge amount of traffic as Canada's Olympic Games ended Sunday night.  Airport officials were ready for the busiest time in the airport's history.  Passengers were asked to come to the airport 4 hours in advance of their flight.  The airport built an auxiliary terminal to handle 10,000 people from the main terminal to shorten lines for everyone. Stores, restaurants, bars and airline check-in desks were open all night to accommodate the thousands of travelers.   Three Russian charter flights, with 200 to 300 people each, left between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Monday morning. It seems the Olympic party just moved to the airport as residents of the area came out to say goodbye to the athletes and take more pictures. 

Another Winter Storm for Atlanta Area

Both AirTran and Delta are offering passengers booked for travel to or from Atlanta today through 3 p.m. EST the chance to change their travel plans. Snow and rain, along with severe thunderstorms are moving across the Southeast and Florida today.  Wet snow is expected across eastern Tennessee, northern Alabama, northern Georgia, the Appalachians and Smoky Mountains and parts of South and North Carolina.

Santiago's Airport Reopens

Chile's Santiago airport has re-opened this morning but service is limited.  The airport has been closed since Saturday's earthquake.  LAN expects to operate a limited number of domestic and international flights today.  American is hoping to resume flying today or tomorrow.

Jets Scrambled For American Flight before Landing at Heathrow

Two Royal Air Force Typhoon jets were scrambled to assist an American flight shortly before it was scheduled to land at Heathrow this morning.  The action was prompted by a woman trying to gain access to the cockpit.  The woman, who has not been identified as yet, was arrested by London police after the pilot on flight AA 078 bound from Dallas-Fort Worth requested urgent assistance.  The plane landed safely at approximately 10:50 a.m. GMT and the arrest was made soon after.  Police said the woman did not pose a terror threat to the Boeing 767-300, which had 161 passengers and 12 crew on board.  The passenger was calmed by flight attendants but as a precaution a priority approach to London was requested and police were requested to meet the aircraft on arrival.

JFK's Main Runway Now Closed For Repairs

If yesterday was any indication of how things will go until the runway repairs are completed, then it’s going to be a rocky ride flying in and out of JFK.  Delays averaging 100 minutes took place yesterday, the first day the runway was closed.  The delays were exacerbated by high winds of up to 35 mph, forcing the airport to operate on just one runway for some of the day.  The Port Authority said airlines "are adjusting schedules and operations to mitigate delays, and the airport's three remaining runways will be utilized to their full capabilities during the closure." The closed runway handles about 33% of all operations at the airport.

Star Princess Delays Sailing from Valparaiso

The Star Princess is delaying today's sailing from Valparaiso to act as a floating hotel for passengers unable to leave Chili today.  The airport has been reopened but on a limited basis and many flights are not operating today.  The airport expects to be fully open by tomorrow.  This will also allow more incoming passengers time to get to the ship because of cancelled flights.  The earliest departure of the ship is scheduled for tomorrow at 6 p.m.   The port was not damaged by the earthquake but the terminal at the airport was severely damaged.  Princess said passengers who have booked their outbound or inbound air through Princess are being rebooked, and necessary modifications to pre- or post packages have been made.

Costa Cancels All Cruises for Europa

Costa has cancelled all future cruises of the Europa.  The ship crashed into a pier while docking in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, killing three crew members.  The ship was on an 18 day cruise, which was cancelled and the passengers sent home.  There were two more 18 day cruises booked and then the ship was leaving the line as it had been scheduled for transfer to UK-based Thomson Cruises in April on a long-term charter. Costa and Thomson have not said whether the accident will impact the transfer.  The Europa is a 24 year old ship built in 1986 at the Meyer Shipyard.  She was named the Homeric and was the last ship built for Home Lines.

News is courtesy of ARTA Online.

Dept. Of State Issues Travel Warning For /Chile

The Department of State has alerted US citizens to the situation in Chile in the aftermath of a powerful earthquake, measuring 8.8 magnitude, that struck 73 miles north of Concepcion (Chile's second largest city; pop. 650,000) and 197 miles south of Santiago.  More than 700 people died in the event, hundreds were injured and there has been damage to thousands of homes and commercial properties.  The Department of State strongly urges U.S. citizens to avoid tourism and non-essential travel to Chile. The February 27th earthquake caused significant damage to the areas closest to the epicenter, including the cities of Concepcion, Talcahuano and Temuco.  Santiago, Viña del Mar and Valparaiso were also affected by power outages and limited telecommunications.  The Santiago International Airport has been closed to all but military operations.  The Wall Street Journal says there are limited international flights but most will be diverted to other cities in Chile and to Argentina.  Another report says the airport will be closed for another 48 hours according to the Chilian Air force Commander.

Cruises have been relatively unaffected in Valparaiso as it is some 200 miles away from the centre of the earthquake.   Because most cruise passengers fly in and out of Santiago they may not be able to reach Valparaiso.  Princess says the Star Princess which is due in Valparaiso tomorrow will sail as scheduled.  Cruise Critic reports that some passengers who are booked to sail tomorrow have had their flights cancelled.  Other cruise lines having scheduled calls within the next two weeks are Oceania's Insignia, due to call next Sunday and the Silver Spirit scheduled to arrive next Monday.   

Portugal Unveils Europe's First Alcohol Free Resort

The first alcohol-free resort in Europe will be located in the Algarve, close to Faro airport.  The resort is aimed at recovering alcoholics by launching "Sober Holidays" to provide visitors with a "safe, supportive environment" not available at other resorts.  The restored 19th-century villa will start taking guests in April.  It offers a wide range of activities, from mountain biking and hiking, to bird watching and tennis. There are also 14 golf courses in the surrounding countryside.  Guests will be offered access to three weekly English Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Weekly Gamblers Anonymous and twice-weekly Narcotics Anonymous meetings will also take place locally.  The property is owned and operated by Andrew O'Loughlin, a recovering alcoholic who has been sober for four years.   The resort is all inclusive and open to those with a minimum of 60 days sobriety. Prices are 395 Euros for a three-night break and 595 Euros for a five-night break. For more information go to http://www.soberholidays.net/

He Must Have Been Really Hungry

A Ryanair passenger purchased a euro scratch-off ticket on board his flight and found he had won 10,000 Euros.  He wanted the money given to him while in flight and of course the cabin crew couldn't do that so he ate the ticket.  It was worth about $13,600 in US dollars.  A spokesman for the airline said "In the last two year's Ryanair's scratch cards have given away 10 cars, over €300,000 in cash prizes and over 100,000 flight vouchers. Passengers have always been delighted to claim their large cash prizes after returning home. Unfortunately our latest winner felt that we should have his €10,000 prize kicking around on the aircraft. "Yesterday's events prove that while Ryanair's scratch cards offer large cash prizes they clearly taste great too! Crew tried to stop the gourmet scratch card eater by offering him one of our great tasting sandwiches, pizzas or snacks instead, but clearly he had much more expensive tastes!"  The airline is asking passengers to vote on what type of charity should receive the prize.

JFK's Main Runway Shuts Down Today

The main runway at JFK is shutting down for repairs that are scheduled to take four months.  This will result in more delays which will spread across the country and higher ticket prices are likely as the airlines are not planning to add more flights in April and May as they normally do.  JetBlue, American and Delta are all keeping to their winter schedules at the airport until July.  JetBlue for example will not add 30 additional departures for its normal summer schedule until July.  The other carriers are doing the same.

Iberia to Resume Flights between Madrid and Washington

Effective March 29, Iberia will restore service to one of its five US destinations.  The carrier will fly nonstop flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  An additional flight will be added on Sundays June through August.  The airline will fly an Airbus A-340.  Iberia will also increase service to Boston with a fourth weekly flight this month and a fifth in June.  In July the service will expand to daily flights between Boston and Madrid.

MSC Orders Fifth Musica Class Ship

The cruise line ordered a fifth Musica class ship at the same time it took delivery of the fourth sister ship in the series, the MSC Magnifica.  The new ship will be built at the STX shipyard in St. Naxaire, France.  The Magnifica will be christened by MSC Madrina Sophia Loren on March 6 in Hamburg. 

Holland America Adds Second Ship in Australia

Holland America is sending a second ship to Australia in 2011.  The unnamed ship will join the Volendam in sailing out of Sydney for the 2011-2012 winter season.  Last week RCI announced it was sending a second ship to Sydney in 2011 to double its capacity.  Holland American plans several new itineraries out of Sydney for the 2010-2011 winter season.  Australians have fallen in love with cruising and projections say they will account for 5% of the global cruise market by 2020. 

News is courtesy of ARTA Online.

US renews Mexico travel warning, but doesn't target tourist areas

The United States has renewed a travel alert to Mexico, citing increased violence in the country. The alert, issued Sunday by the State Department, is in effect until August 20 and supersedes an alert issued August 20, 2009. "Recent violent attacks have caused the U.S. Embassy to urge U.S. citizens to delay unnecessary travel to parts of Michoacán, Durango, Coahuila and Chihuahua ... and to advise U.S. citizens residing or traveling in those areas to exercise extreme caution," the alert says.

SeaWorld Orlando trainer killed by orca

A killer whale attacked and killed a trainer in front of a horrified audience at a SeaWorld show Wednesday. Distraught audience members were hustled out of the stadium, and the park was immediately closed. Veteran trainer Dawn Brancheau, 40, was one of the parks most experienced. It wasn't clear if she drowned or died from the thrashing. SeaWorld spokesman Fred Jacobs confirmed the whale was Tillicum, one of three orcas blamed for killing a trainer who lost her balance and fell in the pool with them in 1991 at Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia. A retired couple from Michigan told the Associated Press that Wednesday's incident happened as a noontime show was winding down, with some in the audience staying to watch the animals and trainers. Eldon Skaggs, 72, said Brancheau was on a platform with the whale and was massaging it. He said the interaction appeared leisurely and informal. Then, Skaggs said, the whale "pulled her under and started swimming around with her." Skaggs said an alarm sounded and staff rushed the audience out of the stadium. Skaggs said he heard that during an earlier show the whale was not responding to directions. Others who attended the earlier show said the whale was behaving like an ornery child. (USA Today)

Abbey Road Studios to become a National Historic Landmark

The iconic Abbey Road Studios made famous by the Beatles are being declared a national historic landmark, British Culture Minister Margaret Hodge announced Tuesday. The studios became an international cultural touchstone when the Beatles were photographed crossing the road there for the cover of their album "Abbey Road."

But it's not only where the Beatles recorded "All You Need is Love" and numerous other songs, but where much of Britain's best known music of the 20th century was laid down. Rock stars Pink Floyd and Cliff Richard, composer Sir Edward Elgar, and the movie soundtracks for "Star Wars" and the "Harry Potter" films were recorded there.

One less JFK runway starting March 1, for three months.

They told us a year ago that it was to happen, and we pushed it to the back of our minds. Nows the time to start thinking about it: JFK's main runway will close for three months from March 1 through May. Air traffic won't come to a grinding halt while the 14,572-foot long runway 13R-31L undergoes its $204 million makeover, but it will cause more delays and longer waits on the tarmac than usual since JFK will be operating on three runways. According to USA Today, this runway handled 143,000 takeoffs and landings in 2008, and those plus growth in air traffic have to be shifted. Delays are very much expected.

Airline consolidation 'inevitable'

Consolidation in the U.S. airline industry is "inevitable," the president of the Air Line Pilots Association union said on Wednesday. Capt. John Prater told the Reuters Travel and Leisure Summit that under current circumstances, a combination between United parent UAL Corp and Continental Airlines made the most sense, as the carriers have little route overlap. However, Prater added that he had no indication from the companies that they were having merger discussions. Prater also said that he felt that monitoring pilots in the cockpit would not improve flight safety.

in the domestic market and will carry the Olympic name and logo. 

Plan to video, eavesdrop on airline cockpits

US officials want to install video cameras in cockpits and monitor "black box" voice recorders to try to eliminate pilot distractions and banter which have been blamed for several accidents, including a deadly crash in New York. "It is essential to understand what is going on in the cockpit if we are to achieve further reductions" in the number of accidents involving commercial aircraft, Debbie Hersman, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a statement on Wednesday."The benefits attained from the cockpit voice recorder should not be limited to posthumous investigations," she said.

Southwest to continue no-fee for luggage

Southwest will continue to allow customers to check two bags for free. Southwest chief Gary Kelly defended the no-bag-fee policy against criticism from Wall Street analysts. Many of those analysts say Southwest is walking away from hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue by not charging for bags.  "The analysts just don't get it," Kelly said.  "We are making money and others (who have added baggage fees) are losing money. We have gained market share because of our policy. If we added baggage fees, we could lose more revenue from lost passengers than we would gain by charging those who remain with Southwest." When asked if that will remain Southwest's policy, Kelly says: "Yes, we can never say never in perpetuity. But we are not thinking about making changes. Why should we? It differentiates Southwest from the other airlines."

Luxury liquids and gels in 3 oz. bottles

The web site http://3floz.com specializes in deluxe toiletries that meet TSA size requirements.  The list of products is fairly amazing.

Carnival Corp summer cruise prices going up soon

Carnival Corp said it will raise summer cruise prices by as much as 5% depending on departure date, effective March 22.  The increase comes after Carnival has seen bookings 'at unprecedented levels' so far this year.  CEO Gerry Cahill says that pricing has not fully recovered to 2008 levels.  In December 2009, Carnival said fiscal fourth quarter earnings dropped 48%. The current quarter ends Sunday.

Fifteen percent of Celebrity Mercury passengers fell victim to illness

Passengers aboard the Celebrity Mercury began reporting feeling terribly ill on Sunday, February 21, 2010, subsequently overwhelming medical personnel and facilities aboard the vessel. It was reported that over 300 people seemingly acquired the unknown gastrointestinal illness, according to information provided by the Washington Post. The Mercury departed from Charleston, South Carolina on Monday, February 15, 2010, en route to the Caribbean islands. It is reported that around 15 percent of 1,800 people who are aboard the cruise ship have reported suffering from the stomach sickness. With the sudden outbreak of illnesses overwhelming medical facilities, the ship reportedly brought an additional doctor and nurse onboard from the British Virgin Islands. Pathogen tests were being conducted in Puerto Rico and are reportedly pending. As of Wednesday, reports from the ship were 326 ill passengers and 32 crew members.

If you've been pining for a sushi lollipop...

Sushi lollipops will mix with Boddingtons beer-battered fish and chips in a new specialty restaurant on board new ship Celebrity Eclipse. The Celebrity Cruises vessel, the first new build by the company to operate out of Southampton from April, will have a new dining venue on board. A cover charge of $30 per person will apply to eat at Qsine, which will not carry any age restrictions. The dress code will be "smart casual". The dessert menu will be a foldable cube, and guests can order wine from touch-screen IPod devices at their tables.

News is courtesy of ARTA Online.