Travel Lady Blog

After being in dry dock for a 17 day overhaul the Holland America ship the MS Ryndam returns to service with a complete makeover. The ship now includes a new contemporary lounge called ‘Mix’ and a new Italian restaurant called Canaletto. The makeover also included the complete makeover of the main theater showroom that now sports a whole new look.

In this major renovation each of the ships 1258 staterooms were revamped with all new linens, fixtures, bedding and completely new bathroom vanities and cabinetry. There were also 16 staterooms that were also changed and upgraded to spa staterooms that include extra amenities. The Ryndam will now return to the Caribbean before heading to Alaska for it’s 2010 Alaska season sailings.

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Sandals Resorts recently launched their new ‘Sandals Weddings by Martha Stewart’. With the rise in destination weddings, it is a carefully crafted partnership of one of the largest and most popular all inclusive resorts and one of the leading stylist  – Sandals and Martha Stewart. Sandals will now offer it’s clientele six new exclusive destination wedding packages created in conjunction with Martha Stewart.

Engaged couples will now have a choice of six wedding packages that will have it’s own distinct theme that coordinate everything from the bouquet and boutonniere to the elegant table settings to the hand crafted wedding cakes plus more. The packages will include every detail imaginable that then takes away the stress and worry for the bride and groom to be.

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Launching the US Federal Government’s first major commitment o promote the USA as a travel destination to foreign countries, President Obama signed Travel Promotion Act in a White House ceremony. This law create a Corporation for Travel Promotion  for the US that can raise funds to launch awareness in other countries of all that the USA has to offer in the form of tourism. This new bill was signed in hopes that it will open doors for more international tourist to come visit the USA and see what our country has to offer.

In the years past Convention Bureaus took on this type of promotion and targeted select international tourist markets. This new travel promotion has promises to be far more reaching and comprehensive.

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The newest ship of Celebrity Cruise Lines, the Celebrity Eclipse was brought out into plain view for all to see recently at the ship yard in Germany. The Eclipse is the newest of the Celebrity Solstice Class ships that has been under construction for the past year. The 122,000 ton ship will carry 2850 passengers in true Celebrity comfort and class.

The Eclipse is due to sail out of South Hampton, England in late April 2010. It will sail a series of voyages in the Canary Islands, Scandinavia, Russia and Spanish Mediterranean throughout the summer and fall of 2010 where it will end up heading to the Caribbean for winter sailings departing from Miami beginning November 1010.

As with the Eclipse’  two sister ships, the Solstice and the Equinox, the new Eclipse will be filled with stylish design and more unique innovations. This new ship will offer a lot of extra pampering to all of her guests!

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The Sheraton Hotel chain announced that it will be closing many of their VIP or Concierge Lounges across the USA for cost cutting measures. This will no doubt upset the elite customers who have had access to these small lounges in the past. They are a respite to travelers who don’t want to be stuck in their hotel rooms and it adds a place of respite to people who can work, enjoy light snacks and drinks. I know in my travels i have often use these lounges when I have stayed for short or long term travel. I feel safe there not having to be in such a open and noise place like the lobby or having to sit in a restaurant alone.

These lounges have let me work on something by myself in another atmosphere besides my room and they give me limited opportunities to meet other guests and feel safe. The light snacks and drinks are always appreciated by myself I know when I travel alone, so I don’t have to go out by myself, especially at night when i don’t know the area.

I wouldn’t be surprised it the redecorated and changed them a bit then reintroduced the same thing as a ‘new’ amenity to guests sometime in the future. These lounges are invaluable to travelers for many reasons and I am sure that they may close for awhile but they will return in the future. These lounges are valuable space for the hotels and could create income – even on a small level. I guess we’ll all have to wait and see.

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The CEO of Southwest Airlines Gary Kelly announced that they will continue to allow passengers to check two bags for free on their planes. All other major airlines are now charging up to $25 to $30 per bag each way a traveler flies. That adds up to $50 to $60 dollars more for just one bag for passengers to take. These cost on other airlines also double for two bags and in some instances the cost of a second check bag is even more than the cost of the first bag.

Southwest Airlines has continually offered good service, clean planes and when you buy a ticket from them that is all you are going to pay for – there won’t be any additional costs when you show up for your flights like other airlines.

This to me is not just an advertising or marketing ploy, because up to about 18 months ago to 2 years ago ALL airlines allowed you to check a standard bag onto a flight for free. Southwest just refused to buckle under pressure to compete with the other airlines and these baggage fees.

So, Thank You Southwest for the service you provide to me and by future check bags!

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Airline seats of the future… 

To add more seats to sell, airlines are now constructing smaller seats. Which does not deal well with larger sized travelers. But there are some seats to be found that may help certain travelers  get more headroom, leg room or to be able to stretch their elbows out a bit while flying.

There is a website called seat guru that is supposed to help travelers find the best seat in the house for them, but what about airlines like Air Tran that charge travelers $7-$9 more dollars if they want to pick out their seats more than 24 hours prior to their flight.

The airlines actually have information for travelers about their seats size, pitch and more.I know this for a fact because I used to work for an airline. Although if you are looking on line in a website on the internet this information is often not available to customers and a call to the airlines may cause you to have to pay even more fees on top of the fees you have already paid for booking online. Often, even then you’ll not get those few extra inches you seek.

There is an article from USA Today about seats on plane and how their sizes are measured.  My suggestion is to ask for bulkhead or exit seat (if you are exit row able by the airlines) for extra leg room. As far as getting a good seat before hand…get online 23 hrs and 59 minutes before your flights leave and grab the seat of your preference be it an aisle or window. If you are a frequent flyer or not sign up for their free programs and get your self pre-approved for and exit row. These seats will afford you the most room. Now sit down and squeeze your self in for the long haul!

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The NCL ship the Norwegian Star will be set to cruise from Tampa, Florida starting in late 2011. This will be the first time NCL has had a cruise ship being docked at the Tampa cruise terminal on a seasonal basis. The Norwegian Star carries 2240 passengers, so it will be the biggest ship to cruise out of Tampa.

The scheduled service will begin on October 16th, 2011 and extend through till April 8th, 2012. The ship will offer cruises to the Western Caribbean area. The ports to be visited will include Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico. These will be 7 day cruises departing from Tampa on Sundays.

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What at the top 4 reasons pick hotel when the travel?

1. Brand Loyalty

2. Free WiFi or internet service

3. Free breakfast

4. Free room upgrades

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“There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” — Charles Dudley Warner

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