TravelTruth - Turen on Travel

British Airways is set to re-open the new Terminal 5 in June. Most of the lost baggage, victims of the grand opening fiasco, has been reunited with its owners. Two airport executives have been replaced, and things may be on course.

United Airlines flights have been moved to Terminal 1 which all Star Alliance members should call home by the fall.

Meanwhile, Delta, Northwest, and KLM, part of the Sky Team Alliance, have completed their move to Terminal T4.

At present, all in-transit guests connecting to other terminals should allow two and a half hours minimum between flights.

Most of the major cruise lines now feature specialty restaurants. On the premium and budget lines, such as Holland America, Carnival, NCL, Royal Caribbean, Costa, and Princess, there is an extra charge for dining in these special venues. Guests who occupy the top suites are given reservations priorities and, often, may be able to secure more reservations then guests booked in non-suite accommodations. NCL because the line did not disclose to guests in regular cabins that guests in the most expensive accommodations would be given priority.

Now, a passenger who recently sailed on the Norwegian Star with her sister and mother, is suing because she could not get the dinner reservations she wanted

NCL heavily advertises Freestyle Dining as part of its Freestyle Cruising message. The guests, who have asked for class action status, are saying that they were not given the advertised dining options to which they were entitled.

So let's understand this. Guests who for a suite are not entitled to suite amenities which might include the availability of additional specialty restaurant reservations. It just doesn't;t pay to be rich anymore. I hope, if this suit is successful, that we can get the canapes away from those folks who paid $7,000 to sit in First Class,

Like the lemmings of northern Norway, American Airlines went to the edge of the luggage cliff and decided to jump. They have joined United and all of the other legacy carriers in imposing a charge for economy passengers charging a second piece of luggage. The charge goes into effect on May 12th. All full-fare Y ticket holders and premium elite Advantage members are exempt Also exempt are Business and First Class fliers. The extra fee does not apply to international routes.

It is easy to see why American had to cave. The airline lost $328 million during the first quarter. If fuel prices do not stabilize look for the additional add-on charges that airlines have contemplated for years, to be put on the front burner in short order.

If it does, you may be in for a more interesting and enjoyable long-haul flight. AVOD is Audio Video on Demand. Not all airlines or all aircraft types within a fleet have it. It provides in-seat entertainment that can be selected by the passenger to begin at any time during the flight. The newer versions of AVOD provide hundreds of video options.

You can fast forward or pause if you need to get up to use the restroom. Many of the better airlines have AVOD systems in the front of the plane and some have installed the system in economy.

Air New Zealand, Emirates, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore, and Thai.

If you are flying on a budget and want to secure the best pricing close in to departure make your reservation on Wednesday morning at 9:00 am. two weeks prior to your scheduled departure. Although not widely known, most airlines release their weekend pricing and availability two Wednesdays prior to departure. Obviously the flights have been for sale for eleven months. But close in, the airline's brainy computer systems tell them when a flight is light and new, lower pricing hits the system. This is called the Wednesday Update Sale.

It is simple really - fly to the European city with the highest percentage of Michelin three star-rated restaurants as well as the most memorable french fries, the world's best chocolate, and beautiful cities less than an hour away by comfortable train.

That would be Brussels, Belgium. While there, eat fresh baked waffles and cruise the city's lovely canals. Next, head to Mechelen, still rather undiscovered by American tour companies. While there, sample the famed white asparagus in season and order any of the chicken dishes on the menu at D'Hoogh, which sits right on the town square.

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to fly the new Airbus 380, you might want to click on the web address below:

http://www.gillesvidal.com/blogpano/cockpit1.htm

THE FIVE RESTAURANTS YOU MUST VISIT

IN THIS LIFETIME

For the past six months we have been working on a new report which will identify the Best Twenty Restaurants in the World. Surprisingly, many of them are a bit off the beaten path. But we can now identify the top Five Worldwide Restaurants that are so good, so memorable, and so revered by food critics, that any foodie has to put them on a list of “Must See” destinations. May we suggest that there are worse ways to choose an itinerary? Getting a table will require a strategy and far-in-advance planning. But these will be meals you will, we promise, remember for the rest of your life. We list them in order of our current rankings:

THE BEST RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD

# 1 – El Bulli – Montjoi, Spain – Chef Ferran Adria is the world’s most important chef at this moment. He has combined science and gastronomy and his disciples are coming to a city near you. Dining here will quite literally change the way you look at food and flavorings. The restaurant is only open from March to December. The rest of the time, Adria experiments in his laboratory in Barcelona, “designing” new tastes and techniques. Forget getting in this year and next year will be difficult.

# 2 – The Fat Duck – Berkshire, England – A relatively comfortable experience. If Chef Adria did not exist, the Duck’s Heston Bluementhal would be the most famous chef in the world. And yes, it is true, they do serve bacon and egg ice cream as well a snail porridge.

# 3– Pierre Gagnaire – Paris, France – Now challenged by Spain, where the culinary world is flocking, Gagnaire’s dedication to the freshest ingredients and his absolute, some would say divine, skills, seems to have elevated his game. He is sounding the first alarms about pending shortages of truly organic, high quality gourmet foodstuffs. The small farms can’t meet the demands of the growing gourmet aspirations of a worldwide clientele he argues.

# 4 - The French Laundry – Yountville, California – Thomas Keller is America’s chef of the year and the year before that and…… His inspiring Napa cuisine is served in a lovely but relatively laid back setting in the heart of the California wine country. This will help show you everything that our local restaurants are not.

# 5 - Tetsuya’s – Sydney, Australia – Young chef Tetsuya Wakuda arrived in Sydney from Japan with a single suitcase and a plan to merge French and Japanese cuisine in a superb setting near the water. This is the restaurant to beat in both the South Pacific and Asia.

All of the fine print boils down to this. Most of the major airlines will not allow you to upgrade a coach ticket using miles unless the airline is literally operating all flight sectors. However, if you want to simply use your accumulated miles to purchase a free Business ticket that can be done using a combination of your airline and its partners.

Here is an example. Let's say you want

to fly from Chicago to Vienna round-trip from Chicago. Your miles are with American. You can do the trip using AA's partner, British Airways between London and Vienna. If you want to use 90,000 miles you can get a "free" Business Class ticket. But what you cannot do is buy a coach ticket and then use your miles, far less then 90,000 to upgrade to Business Class. You can;t even though the BA flights may have AA flight numbers.

If, however, you want to upgrade from coach on American flying round-trip Chicago-London, there is no problem since those are both true AA flights.

One of ther world's most respected culinary pracftitioners, Pierre Gagnaire of the triple Michelin-starred Balzac in Paris, is waging an unusual campaign.

He is trying to warn the consumers of fine dining that the environment cannot sustain the demands of a worldwide audience for truly natural food products. Aming ius specific warnings:

01 - Wild fish will disappear in th enext five to ten years. What will remain will be "farmed" fish.

03 - Exotic and in demand fruits and vegetables are getting so hard to find, that there is danger that restaurants without the best sup[pliers may have to close

His bottom line is that suppliers just can;pt cope with the demands of good restaurants.

He predicts large numbers of closings in the years to come along with prices that may double or triple today's top-level menu prices.

WHO REALLY GETS UPGRADED AT THE GATE? THE PRIORITY LIST USED BY MOST MAJOR AIRLINES

The following list highlights the very best strategies to get upgraded from coach to Business or First Class at the check-in gate. This is what really works – and what doesn’t. This is the pecking order – from top to bottom. This is the order in which upgrades at the counter are generally assigned:

Make sure you have elite frequent flier program status and an upgrade certificate to present at check-in.

OK, you don’t belong to the top status frequent flier program – but you do have that upgrade certificate in your possession.

High level Platinum or Gold Frequent Flier Members on a flight that is overbooked in coach.

Since the average flight is overbooked by about 12%, this happens more then you might imagine.

These are coach passengers flying on a non-discounted Y Class economy fare. Last-minute business travelers often fall into this category.

If you are flying on a partner airline and are a Top Tier, Gold or Platinum, Frequent Flier, you are next in line for n upgrade. American and British Airways, United and Lufthansa, and Delta and Northwest are examples of these partner airlines.

You are a top tier member of a partner airline FF Program and your flight is oversold in coach.

This one is a bit unusual. On lightly-booked flights, weight issues sometimes require that coach passengers be moved to the front of the aircraft for “balance.” It helps if you have been assigned a seat in the middle of the aircraft – those are the seats they move first.

If you are traveling alone and have no airline affiliation or a low level FF mileage account, this one could work. But the gods have to be smiling in your favor. Sit within site of the gate agent and be dressed in business attire. If a civilian needs to be upgraded and none of the category fliers listed above are available, you may be asked to vacate your coach seat for something in business.

Yes, you may be offer4ed an upgrade if you volunteer. But the chances are that you will have to fly later, perhaps much later, an possibly on a connection.

This one is hard to quantify but enough gate agents have told us this actually happens for us to believe it. They can place a comment on your record that reads something like “really nice pax”. When the supervisor of the flight is searching the passenger list, your namecould jump out when candidates for an upgrade are needed. But this one has to be played carefully. Gate agents were unanimous in telling us that they virtually never give upgrades to passengers who ask for one unless they meet some of the stringent criteria above.

NEW ROYAL CARIBBEAN GENESIS CLASS

TO LAUNCH IN 2009

Note: This wonderful article froim Popular Mechanics captures the relative size of the largest ship ever constructed.

GENESIS

Price Tag: $1.2 billion
Completion Date: 2009
Total Length: 1180 feet
Passengers: 6400

tIn the cruise ship industry, the battle for bragging rights has turned into a QE2-size slugfest. In 2003, Cunard stole the crown for world’s largest cruise ship when it launched the 151,410-ton Queen Mary 2; three years later Royal Caribbean topped it with the 154,000-ton Freedom of the Seas. Now, Royal Caribbean is set to raise the stakes yet again with the 220,000-ton Genesis, slated to launch in 2009 from a shipyard in Turku, Finland. (A second Genesis will launch a year later.) Why is bigger better? “Make no mistake, Genesis will be no lumbering behemoth. The ship’s three main propellers will swivel 360 degrees on independent bearings. All will be driven by electric motors powered by the ship’s central bank of six diesel generators, and steered by an integrated navigation and control system. From the bridge, the captain will be able to move the ship in any direction — forward, backward, sideways — with the flick of a joystick. No tugboats required.

The next shot in the "Weight Wars" has been fired by United. All domestic fliers who are not members of the airline's Mileage Plus Program will be charged $25.00 for a second, checked piece of luggage. International fliers oin United will not have to pay the surcharge.

It will be possible to check a third and fourth bag on domestic flights for an additional $100 per bag.

It will be fascinating to see how United's competitors will react. But this is just the beginning of new pricing policies that will attempt to connect the cost of the ticket with the weight of one's belongings. The next step may well be additional charges for Obese passengers, a plan several airlines are considering.

Last night, the folks at ABC's 20-20 did a special report on Dan Buettner's work on the Blue Zones Project. This is an attempt to rate the happiness quotient of the residents of countries around-the-globe using the latest database information and social science research techniques.

The answer turned out to be Denmark, a place with cold winters and a tax rate that hovers between 50-70% of income for the majority of residents.

And you know what - the people actually love the fact that their government has the highest per-capita spending in the world for children and the elderly. They love the fact that the government takes care of the costs of education, health care, and a thousand little annoyances that those of us in America put up with on a daily basis. And they love the fact that this all frees them to be "happy."

Canadians turned out to be far happier then residents of Fiji, Italy, or France. The US placed 23rd on the list. Singapore was one of the happiest places on earth and it has one-man rule.

There will be lots of discussion about this happiness thing, but I feel somewhat relieved that my past perceptions of the people of Denmark has, at last, been somewhat vindicated. There is virtually no crime, the people are inordinately healthy, and they sort of like their government.

Our favorite freeze from the report was a scene outside a Copenhagen coffeeshop. Baby carriages were lined up outside as the mothers ducked inside for a cup of coffee. No one was watching the babies. No one had to. Every passerby was watching those children. That may be the definition of happiness. It is a visual I will never forget.

If you needed proof that China has gotten off the anti-materialism bandwagen, look no further then the 3-D Gold Jewelry store on Man Lok street, Kowloon .

Head toward the back of the store and you will discover a solid gold bathroom complete with toilets, wash basic and, toilet paper holders. Even the walls are lined with gold.

It seems that the owner was intrugued by Lenin's statement that he wanted to see the masses sitting on gold toilets. If you don't want to hear a sales pitch, you might visit the loo at the Peninsula.

For information on the world's best, and worst toilets, visit www.the bathroomdiaries.com

Now that Singapore Airlines has taken delivery of the new, superliner in the sky, the Airbus 380, they must be a tad disappointed that publicity is swirling around the potential use of their double-bed "suites" in first-class.

The airline has rules against sex in the sky which it says it will enforce. Meanwhile, a British couple, became the first to occupy the suite and reported "no cigar" since the press was hovering in the aisle outside their tiny compartment.

The "suite cost just over $14,000 round-trip between LA and Singapore.. For that price, one might imagine the sky is the actual limit on extracuricular activitiy but after plying you with champage, the "Singapore Girls" will be watching. Just how activity in the bed will be monitored is still Singapore's secret. All of this serves to conceal the fact that the new aircraft, vital to Airbus' future, has been an initial success.

Is across the Tiber River in Trastevere. Imagine winding streets, narrow cobblestone paths, and Verdi or Puccini coming out a fourth floor open window. Imagine the best of Rome's trattorias and small bars, filled by inhabitants of the oldest neighborhood in the entire city.

The last time there, I brought friends to a small place near the Basilica di Santa Maria. We sat outside on the rear patio. As my friend leaned back in his chair, I was able to point out that he was leaning on a portion of the original wall that surrounded the ancient city. Somehow, this made the tortellini al sugo seem more memorable.

But where to stay?

There are relatively few hotels here and the two-star run-downs are not suitable for upscale visitors. But one little gem is the four-star Hotel di Santa Maria. Expect wood-beamed ceilings and frequent wake-up calls from the sound of the bells at the nearby Basilica. The three-star Ripa hotel is larger and the suites are fine but there have been maintenance problems are reason enough to avoid the place.

U.S. Passport holders are being urged to take extra precautions to protect their documents from gangs of thieves operating in several portions of South America.

According to State Department sources, Americans traveling to certain cities where these gangs operate, face greater than normal risk of having their documentation stolen. . There is suspicion that terrorist groups may be purchasing altered documentation from street hustlers willing to sell these documents to the highest bidder.

NBC Dateline recently aired a segment highlighting this problem which involves both stolen existing tourist passports and visas, as well as clean documentation which could enable a terrorist to enter the US.

Tourists visiting Lima, Peru, Santiago, Chile, and Caracas, Venezuela should be particularly alert.

Remember to never wear a fanny pack. Documentation should be stored in a slim bag around your neck.

The bottom line for visitors to South America is that this type of theft is up dramatically in a number of cities. Loosing your passport is a hassle. But when it is sold to anyone willing to pay for it, in an altered state, there are concerns that go deeper then inconvenience.

A new, all-suite, River Cruising Company headed up by Albert Peter, the former CEO of Silverseas, the world's top-rated cruise line, is causing more than the usual amount of industry buzz.

Jewel River cruises will debut in 2008 with six exisiting ships under three brand names. Jewel will be the luxury brand, Emerald River Journeys will be 4-star, and Princess River Journeys will be contemporary. Each of the five ships in the premium and contemporary category are chartered to European operators so all of the attention is being focused on the single ship Jewel line.

The real stiry is that two new-builds are already committed for delivery in 2009 and 2010. Peter and his team clearly intend to "own" the luxury River segment, a gap that is waiting to be filled in the fastest growing segment of the travel industry.What travelers ,can expect, at this point is an on-board Spa, several dining options, large cabins , and a new onboard approach to destination enrichment.

One of the other key executives is Ulrich Baur who helped launch Viking River Cruises. The third major player is a well-known Swiss financial player.

The Jewel Imperial Blue, previously known as the Hispania is going through a $3.5 million refurbishment and will sail, part of the year, round-trip from Paris.

Little-known Grandluxe Rail, based in Evergreen, Colorado is trying to reconstruct the good old days of upscale rail travel.

One of our favorite itineraries is an April trip that begins in New Orleans winding its way through the Midwest to New Mexico, the Grand Canyon, and San Francisco and its nearby wine country. Guests on the 8-day trip travel aboard a 21-car train that features appointments that border on "vintage.", capturing the feel of the so-called Golden Age of Rail Travel.

Passengers sleep in private compartments in an atmosphere that is reminiscent of the Orient Express. Grandluxe offers early booking discounts. The company does not have a huge advertising budget and this is an option you may have missed.

As reported in this space in late October, Regent Seven Seas, the world's largest-capacity Luxury Cruise Line, has been sold to a U.S. based private investment firm active in the Cruise and Hospitality industry.

Apollo Management, which owns 50% of NCL and 100% of Oceania Cruise Lines, paid a reputed $1 billion to The Carlson Companies to purchase Regent. The Regent Hotel chain remains in Carlson's hands.

Other then the obvious purchasing savings, all indications from a variety of sources, point toward little or no change in either the Regent onboard product or staffing.

Mark Conroy, the highly-respected President of Regent, will continue to operate the company.

The one unanticipated outcome of the purchase is the formation of a new Apollo corporation, Prestige Cruise Holdings. Former Oceania founder and CEO, Frank Del Rio,

will head up Prestige and both Conroy and Bob Binder, the President of Oceania, will report to him.

We anticipate an announcement by Regent in the near future that they intend to order at least one new ship for Regent.

Apollo has become a major player in the cruise industry, quickly building the nation's third-largest passenger shipping line. NCL is an entry-level line, Oceania is high-end premium, and Regent is true Luxury. It is an intriguing mix of brands and allows for future expansion with the favorable overall economics.

At this stage, no one at Regent has been displaced and there are few indications that changes will be made in either management or sales. Ships schedules willnot be altered.

Be careful out there. From Rio and Buenos Aires to Rome and Barcelona, Americans may be targeted by thieves with foul-smelling liquids in squeeze bottles.

The scam work likes this: Somehow, the liquid in the bottle, containing ketchup, mustard, or far worse, is spilled on the hapless tourist. Immediate apologies ensue and a helpful stranger arrives with some tissues to clean the spillage off your clothing. So, you put down your bag for a moment, or your purse. Or, if you are in the hands of a particularly adept crew, your pocket has already been picked. And off they run, dropping everything and scooping up your belongings.

Is this prevalent? In portions of the southern Med and South America the number of incidents have been growing. One of the reasons why thiis happens is the predicted behavior. We welcome the assistance of strangers.

The best rule is to keep walking if something spills on you until you get to an area where you can take care of it yourself

Travcoa, the California-based luxury tour operator for their 15-Day LAPLAND REINDEER SAFARI. This extraordinary travel adventure includes dogsled, snowmobile, and reindeer sleigh rides through pristine arctic wilderness. Guests meet the Sami, Scandinavia's ancient herders and sip Vodka while staying at the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjavi.

This hotel is rebuilt every winter from thousands of tons of snow and ice. The tour encompasses Rovaniemi, Lapland capital located directly on the Arctic Circle. Guests on the February 28th departure will celebrate the Festival of Maria's Day with the Sami people. This is an amazing trip for those who love the beauty of snow-encased villages in a magnificent landscape. It is thoughtfully planned with only 1 single-night hotel stay. We congratulate Travcoa and the team that designed The 2008 Travel truth "Escorted Tour of the Year".

Royal Caribbean has announced that the Aker yard in Finland is on "on schedule" for the delivery of the largest, most expensive passenger ship in marimtime history.

She is Project Geneis, and the first of two identical ships will be delivered in 2009.

The stats are amazing. She will be 220,000 Gross Tons and will hold 5,400 passengers. Each vessel is estimated to come in at a final cost of $1.2 billion.

Her size will dictate her placement. The Caribbean, likely alternating Eastern and Western itineraries that can handle a vessel of her size.

The publishers of the respected Lonely Planet Guidebook empire have just named Ireland as the World's Friendliest Country. Some residents of Belfast will find that amusing. The second place winner is Fiji, followed by Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim Country, and Malawi.

What won it for the Irish? The LP folks felt that the irish have the world's best-developed sense of huimor. They also felt that they are particularly friendly toward strangers. There is a strong feeling of optimism in the air now that the "troubles" are thought to have finally ended.

Also doing quite well in the polling was the US, Vietnam, Turkey, Scotland, and Samoa.

We think one could do worse then making futuire destination selections entirely on the basis of this survey.

If you want to join Abercrombie and Kent's Around-The-World by Private Jet departure on February 7th - you can't. It is sold out. At a price of $77,750 for a 25-day ultra-deluxe trip on a reconfigured 757, fifty guests were eager to sign on.

The trip takes in Machu Pichu, Easter Island, Apia, Sydney, Angkor in Cambodia, the Taj Mahal, Muscat's Grand Mosque, ancient Petra, and, of course, the Pyramids of Egypt. And so much more.

But we've just learned that a rather large family has cancelled, due to medical reasons, on the previous departure, on January 13th. Now, you can live the ultimate travel dream if you are prepared to leave in the next several months.

Scandinavia sweeps the most important statistical game on the planet. Four of the top five nations listed as the best places to live based solely on environmental factors are Scandinavian. One European country made the top five. The rankings appear in the latest edition of reader's Digest and represent the work of researchers who combined some of the leading data from sources covering 141 nations.

The report also rates the world's greenest, most liveable cities. Here are the five best and five worst:

This new web site, YAPTA.com is consumer friendly and quite useful. You simply type in your travel schedule and YAPTA lets you know when your airfare goes down. Since most airlines will actually give you a refund or a future travel voucher when the price drops, you can take advantage of serious price decreases.

Consumers should note that one specific advantage of buying your ticket from United Airlines and several other carriers directly is that there are no change fees for reissuing when the price goes down.

Today, we reward our readers with a closely-held secret. Every major airline, at every major airport, has one person who is literally in-charge of all customer relations. In airline lingo, that person is called the "Stationmaster."

The Stationmaster will do nothing for you on your day of departure. But real road warriors try to collect the names of the Stationmaster on the major routes they fly. They develop a relationship and call the SM prior to departure for special favors, upgrades, purchase of miles to secure upgrades etc. This is the key person to know and, if at all possible, to befriend.

But what of the special Mileage desk staff you normally call? In fact, they usually don;t even work for the airline. They are travel agents under contract to do the work and so they have little vested interest in taking care of your needs. Carlson Wagon-Lits is one company that does this contract work for the airlines.

The Mouse is flexing his anatomically correct muscles. Following recent announcements that they are building two new Disney Cruise Line Meg-ships, and following the launch of Adventures by Disney, their new tour arm covering 18 international destinations, Disney has purchased 21 prime acres on the island of Oahu.

The planned resort will be mixed-use - featuring a resort as well as timeshares that will be used by members of The Disney Vacation Club. The oceanfront real estate, which Disney bought for $144 million, will house 800 rooms as well as timeshare villas on the southwestern tip of the island.

There has been lots of hot air on this subject. So let's look at three rules that will help you secure a preferred accommodation at your favorite domestic hotel.

01 - Arrive at the front desk dressed to impress. Staff will judge your importance based, in large part,

on your appearance.

02 - Be friendly and give the desk clerk a reason to assign you one of the better rooms. Indicate why your stay is important. Perhaps you are celebrating something important, or you have a really critical meeting in the morning, or this is the first mini-vacation you've had in three years. Never just ask for an upgrade. Always try to give the front desk a reason to take care of you.

03 - Book your hotel stay with a consortium or travel marketing group member that has a complimentary upgrade program. This is a relatively little-known strategy but many of the better agency groups have negotiated complimentary upgrades on arrival for their guests. Some of the organizations that have these arrangements are Signature, Ensemble, American Express, and Virtuoso.

Trendsetter's take note. Recent reports indicate that this years best-selling tour has been Tauck World Discovery's 12-Day Essence of South America.

The wait-list is so long for this program that Tauck is taking wait-lists for departures in 2009.

For those who seek a stronger dollar great food, along with jungles and beaches and non-stop air, South America is becoming the continent of choice for experienced travelers.

Look for more and more travel companies to announce that they are going green. A recent study by the Travel Industry Association of America, reports that 58.5% of American travelers would be willing to pay 10% more for their trip by using a company that strives to protect and preserve the environment.

The first test will likely be the growing number of hotels that will be providing "purified" and "environmentally cleaned and protected" rooms. If these newly designed rooms are not popular, some of the projected environmental innovations touted for the next five years may be thwarted.

What with delays, lost luggage, and the constant challenges faced by even the most expensive deodorant stick, a change of plane shower is nirvana for the harried traveler. So the nice folks over at Terminal Three in London's Heathrow Airport (see story below), have opened up the "Island". This is a "pay as you go" lounge open to anyone willing to ante up an admission charge of $36. This will get you access to more then two dozen showers, some steam cleaning and, perhaps, a bit of a shine on your shoes, and "free" internet.

If you are changing planes at London's Heathrow Airport you may want to pack an extra pair of knickers in your carry-on.

Recent figures indicate that BA flights conencting at Heathrow are having major problems matching passengers with their luggage.

In addition to high lost luggage stats, BA is rigorously enforcing baggage weight limits and a rule that permits only one carry-on of no more then 22' height. Passengers traveling through London may find it advisable to ship their luggage ahead to their hotel or cruise ship via one of the well-regarded private luggage delivery services.

Among the companies that will pick up luggage at your home and haveit waiting for you at your destination abroad are:

(Traveltruth Exclusive) - The extremely well-funded Apollo Management Group recently purchased Oceania Cruises. Now, in one of the industry's best-kept secrets, Apollo has moved to take a 50% stake in Norwegian Cruise Line with a $1 billion cash offer. This will give NCL breathing room to expand and improve on its current services in the Caribbean and in Hawaii. Parent company ,Star Cruises,will retain a 50% stake in NCL.

This move could not have come at a better time for NCL. The infusion of cash will allow NCL to pay-off large portions of its current debt and will allow plans to move forward with new hull construction and the F3 generation of ships.

Apollo now owns niche player Oceania and is pledged to expand the line with two, new 1250 passenger ships. With the NCL deal firm, speculation is that Apollo is attempting, in short order, to become cruising's third largest brand. This would indicate that Apollo is poised to announce the purchase of a third line, one of the luxury brands.

We have just returned from one of the world's largest gatherings of worldwide travel consultants, cruise line executives, hotel managers, and tour operators.

The annual Virtuoso Travelmart at the Bellagio in Las Vegas featured participants from more then 100 countries. We met face-to-face with our 130 on-site offices and with airline executives. Last year, Virtuoso's 294 agency members produced $4.2 billion in leisure sales. Here are just a few initial observations from this gathering of travel's "Best of the Best".

02 - The percentage of American guests at the best countryside properties in Italy, Great Britain, and France is decreasing. We are hearing that American guests make up only 4-15% of some of Europe's best non-city hotel properties.

03 - Use of private jets for overseas travel is increasingly dramatically. Bljue Star Jets is one firm benefitting from this trend.

04 - Supplier-sponsored web sites are taking market share away from last years "Big Five" travel web addresses. Hotel sites have seen the most growth.

05 - The world's top three airlines are now all based in the Middle East. hey are cash-rich and able to provide service and amenities that exceed even the best of the Asian carriers.

On a personal level, the highlight of the gathering was a surprise visit by the Boys Choir from Kenya, young Masai singers and dancers. Their rendition of America the Beautiful succeeded in bringing hundreds of travel veterans to tears. Micato Safaris arranged for their transportation and accommodations. Seeing the Masai in their red plumage parading through the halls of the Bellagio in Vegas has to rank as one of the most incongruous sights of any travel year.

Visitors from tranquility base stopped by the office yesterday. I refer to "best kept secret" resorts belonging to the Aman group, the ultra deluxe company that owns, manages, and markets small resorts that are the envy of other hotel groups.

Every one of the seventeen Aman resorts is set in a beautiful natural location. The resorts are low key and on the small side, with the air of a Buddhist temple and the feel of lilly ponds dancing along the ridge of a small, mist-shrouded mountain.

Studies show that budget and midrange travelers do not have much hotel brand loyalty.but true luxury travelers do. And the languishing done at Amanresorts is done by some of Hollywood's top stars and some of corporate America's leading lights. They are extremely brand loyal. Now you know their secret.

The first Amanresort opened in 1998 in Phuket. There are now resorts in diverse locations such as

Bhutan, France, Cambodia, the Society islands, India, Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, the U.S. (Jackson Hole) and the Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean.

When it comes to vacation planning,, this is as close as a "sure thing" as you can get. These resorts are perfect for peace and tranquility seekers in the best resort locations on earth. Expect the highest levels of service and memorable cuisine.

The new Trendwatch Report from Harris Interactive on behalf of Expedia is filled with valuable information.

Perhaps most interesting are the results of a survey of 1500 European hoteliers that indicates that Americans are significantly better tourists then some would have us believe. In fact, the only higher-ranking tourists are the Japanese.

Americans are the "most generous" and, rather surprisingly, "the most likely to attempt a foreign language." Note we said "attempt" not "master".

We rank third when it comes to "best behaved" .Only the Japanese and the British are better guests.

On the down side, Americans are considered the very worst dressers, and remember that Russian tourists are part of this study. Were it not for the dependably loud Italians, we would also be the noisiest.

So you are leaving on a cruise that begins in Istanbul and you thought you'd have Fed-Ex pick up your suitcase at the house and ship it - to the ship. Current cost for a 50 lb. suitcase is $478.12.

And you're probably going to need more then one piece of luggage. $1,000 for two bags is just about right. It is a very costly alternative to having the airlines lose your luggage.

The most important trick used by the pros is really simple - yet very few travelers do it. Program the reservations number of every airline you will be flying into your cell phone contact list. Never stand in a long line if a flight is cancelled or severely delayed. Sit down, have a beverage, and call the airline on your cell phone to deal with an emergency like a suddenly cancelled flight.

If you are carrying a laptop, use Flighttracker to check on the status of your flight.

If you want to be fanatical - and really prepared, program in the telephone number of the lost baggage department. And don;t be surprised if the person at the other end of the phone is in Mumbai. Several major aifrlines have outsourced their lost luggage departments.

We've addressed this question before but it remains one of life's perplexing mysteries. Timing is everything. Here is the best current strategy:

01 _ If possible, book your air using miles 360 days prior to your day of departure. Begin calling about 20 minutes past midnight.

02 - If the above is not practical, we recommend that you wait until 90 days prior to your desired departure. Seats previously held for high level frequent flyers are often released at this time.

03 - If that doesn't work, try calling sixty days prior to your intended departure when additional seats may be released.

Remember that all airlines hold seats for their most premium frequent flyers. If you are an optimistic person, you can hope that still more mileage seats will become available on the day of departure. Try calling 24 hours prior to your scheduled flight to beat the system.

We have just received the August issue of Conde Nast Traveler Magazine. CNT has, over the years, established itself as the true voice of literate, travel destination reporting and consumerism. It is a singular honor to be mentioned so favorably in their pages. It motivates all of here at traveltruth.com to keep doing what we are doing.

While it is true the number of passport applications grew from eleven to fourteen million in the early days of summer, the real problem with the passport office is just now coming to light.

It is a severe labor shortage of a particular kind. There are plenty of clerks to input the information - no problem. But after that, applications can sit for months waiting for official "ejudicators" to sign off on each application.

The ejudictores are in short supply. Their job is to take the data and to try to authenticate that the applicant is not a security risk.

The backup is now so extensive, that officials are bringing in more then seventy ejudication-certified specialists from diplomatic posts overseas. They are expected to be in place within the next 30 days. But don;t expect this governmental mess to be straightened out until Mid-September when applications will reach a more manageable number.

It is hot and your aircraft is full. There is going to be a percentage of folks who smell bad this summer and this could ruin your normally delightful flight experience.

Airline staff say the problem is getting worse. Some of them have taken to carrying essential oils which they apply to their nostrils. You may want to try this technique, choosing a scent that is strong enough to mask smells emanating from passengers in your immediate area. Try oil of lavender or even essence of vanilla.

Mix and match until you have developed the best possible odor mask on the planet. Then private label a few bottles and give some to your friends as gifts. Anyone would be grateful for something that will mask the odor coming from the perspiring fellow in seat 39 B who just took off his shoes to reveal he doesn't wear socks.

Cruises along the interior waterways in Europe are hot. In fact, they now represent the fastest-growing segment of the travel industry. Some of the leading contenders, such as Viking River, Amadeus, Tauck and Peter Deilmann, can't build new boats fast enough. Current shipyard orders are backlogged.

The reasons seem obvious enough. Fewer then 200 passengers. All meals and shore excursions are included so the cost, in dollars, is a real value compared to independent travel relying on the dollar rate against the Euro.

Each of the lines below is capable of providing a superior European River Boat experience. But like all other aspects of travel, there are qualitative differences. Here is how we rate the products available to Americans in 2007/2008..

The Swiss Emerald is the best riverboat on the Danube. The new 118 guest Tauck Riverboat will be ready in time for the 2008 season on the Danube. Luxury Suite cabins are just over 300 square feet. Wines are included and Tauck offers the most comprehensive and best-managed sightseeing programs.

Four Tauck Directors accompany each sailing. Pre and post hotel stays are part of the package. Tauck costs a bit more but they are the best on the waterways at the current time.

The largest European River Boat company, Viking offers an upscale product throughout western and eastern European Capitals. They also operate in Russia and they have two new boats offering comprehensive programs in China on the Yangtze. Viking River is reliable but customer service standards are not up to tauck's. Air schedules can be less then desirable so guests may want to consi8der doing their own air.

The onboard product is definitely first class. The major criticism of Viking River is the pace. Guests who do the line's China program will need a vacation when they return. But if daily sightseeing in Europe is your thing,, Viking represents the best cruise for the money provided you book early enough to take advantage of early booking discounts.

This is a highly-respected German company that operates nine river boats ranging in quality from 3 to 5 stars. The Mozart has long been a favorite of those seeking al elegant vessel with a largely German and Austrian clientele.

Announcements are in German and meals, particular dinners, tend to be a bit more formal then they are on boats catering to Americans. This line cruises the Elbe, the Main, the Rhine, and the Danube. Its vesseles also cruise in Provence and the Midi. This is an excellent choice for German-speaking Americans and those seeking a continental experience.

This is the riverboat firm owned by giant mainstream tour operater Globus. Their newest boats are the Tranquility and the tough-to-pronounce Imagery. Avalon is a well-managed company that has grown by 50% in the last 24 months. The line claims that its new Silent Drive System makes for a significantly quieter ride for guests. Early reports indicate that the system is quieter.

Routes include all of the main central European waterways with emphasis on packaging pre and post night tour stays. Avalon is not five-star but it is four and a half plus and the line is backed by one of the industry's largest and most stable brands.

Often confused with rival Avalon, Amadeus is particularly strong in central and Eastern Europe.

A large ownership is percentage is held by General Tours, a long-standing tour firm that made its name by bringing mass tourism to Russia. The line operates the refurbished Tolstoy on Russian waterway programs. Two new ships, the Amalegro and the Amadagip joined the fleet in the past twelve months and they are among the finest riverboats in Europe. The Amadante joins the fleet in 2008. Amadeus does market within Europe..

The Millennium, one of Celebrity's top-rated ships, is limping toward Naples after the propeller blade on its pod propulsion system was severely damaged.

Reports from the ship tell of an offer of $750 in cruise credits for guests who sat on the ship for several days after the accident, missing ports such as Livorno (Florence). Angry guests confronted the tour desk staff who fled the ships theater. Some guests were screaming for compensation. A committee was formed to confront the ships Captain.

A second memo was placed in ships cabins upping the offer to a 50% cruise fare refund. This did not satify the guests and there were more confrontations in the area of the Purser's lobby.

Finally, a third offer with a full refund of the cruise fare was posted outside each guests cabin.

Reports from the ship indicate that Celebrity caved in to guest demands and severly bungled the handling of a challenging onboard situation.

Data clearly shows that Turkey is the most dangerous place to drive in Europe. Greece is one of the most dangerous, along with Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia.

OK, perhaps I have convinvced you not to rent a car in any of these places. Someone is driving the tour buses and the taxis. Someone who may be contributing to the dismal accident statistics in these countries.

There is no means to protect yourself other then to work with a company overseas that takes pains to hire only the safest drivers. But that does nothing to control the guy driving towards you.

The safest roads are in England, ireland,, and Scotland, along with the Scandinavia countries.

There is a little-known fact that drives hotel execs crazy and is rarely talked about publicly. Most countries have laws that make it illegal for a hotel to take possession of a guests room on check-out day if the guest has decided to extend their reservation. This means that hotels, through no fault of their own, could have a number of guests utilizing rooms they thought would be free to sell. This can create an overbooking situation for even the most prestigious hotels worldwide.

Many families want connecting rooms. The best hotels will rarely, if ever, confirm them. And for much the same reason. If the rooms manager cannot kick guests out at the end of their stay, how can they truly guarantee specific rooms that connect?

This is one of the industry's best-kept secrets. Lawyers generally are aware of the rule, most consumers are not.

While there are technical ways for a hotel to circumvent the law, most will not risk the potential legal action that could arise when someone who wants to remain at a hotel is "required" to leave.

We have just completed our 2007 rankings of the international airlines that offer the best service in the sky. Our ratings are based on reviews of all available industry sources that use quantitative measures to determine which flight crews provide consistently excellent service. At this moment, the top five airlines in the world, based entirely on in-flight service, are:

Our ratings are focused entirely on service in-flight. The flight crews on the airlines in our Top Five, provide :memorable service" more often then not.

The biggest surprise is the rather sensational gorwth of Qater as it solidifies its standing as one of the world's great airlines. Another airline from the Gulf region, Emirates, places # 6.

The major cruise lines are now using proprietary software that selects flights for their guests on air/sea programs. Consumers would be surprised to know that human intervention in the selection of flights is rare. If the computer, for example, shows that a 45-Minute Delta connection at New York's JFK is "legal" then that may be the flight assigned. "Legal" connections are merely connections that the individual airlines say are legal.

One of the worst airports for tight connections is Frankfurt, where international transit passengers must pass through security checks even though they just walking from one plane to another.

Stomach-churning connections in Europe are now so common that we are recommending that all Europe-bound cruise passengers do air deviations or consider taking their air credits and having their consultant make private air arrangements.

Current estimates are that July is going to break all previous records in terms of international passenger traffic at the nation's major airports. TSA and the airlines are gearing up, but we may see significant delays.Discuss the specific time you need to be at the airport with your travel professional. July will see record numbers of European Cruise and Escorted Tour travelers, lured by the savings of prepayment in dollars.

For those seeking private guide services abroad, here is an idea that I really like for adventurous travelers who are comfortale making arrangements after they arive,

On the morning after your arrival, visit the local police station and ask to speak to the person in charge. Explain that you would like to employ an off-duty officer with decent English skills to give you an informal and personal tour of the city. Of course you will offer compensation.

This is a novel, and potentially fascinating way to travel safely while getting a true insider's view that even the guidebooks haven't discovered.

The hunt is on in Alaska waters. Shore excursions for this summer have some novel twists. Royal Caribbean will take guests on a Dog Sledding Tour at the Mendenhall Glacier. Or, if they prefer, guests can do a float plane trip in Ketchikan that will place thjem in some of the best bear-viewing territory near Anan Creek.

Holland America has a Bike and Brew Tour that combines a brewery visit with a bicycle trip through the rain forrest.

Regent Seven Seas will be calling at the Campbell River providing opportunities to ride on a mail-delivery float plane.

NCL has a Hummer Tour in Juneau and a boat that takes guests fishing for halibut or salmon, followed by the cooking of their catch on a remote beach.

But the best active shore excursion in the world award still belongs to Crystal Cruises which offers guests the opportunity to fly a Russian MIG over the city of St. Petersburg

Not long ago, the folks in the Statistics Department at Harvard came up with figures that clearly proved that you are safer, on average, in an airplane flying overseas then you are in your car on an American highway. But now, it appears, we are just about at the point of critical mass.

Could it be that you actually extend your life expectancy when you travel overseas?

This has to do with the fact that when you travel abroad you are not driving a car in America and you are not susceptible to gunshots from a fellow-American. More than that, you will not be killed by a falling television set, one of the major causes of death in the United States. Put together all of the dangerous things you will be avoiding, driving roads filled with self-important, intoxicated teens in high-powered cars chief among them, and your actuarial table will clearly show an increase in overall life expectancy.

There is a vacation that no one ever books. But now, new air schedules make it possible. It is an extraordinary combination of two of the world's great destinations. Here is how to set it up:

Fly one of two daily non-stop Emirates Air flights from New York to Dubai. If you prefer, stopover in London.

Take a helicopter transfer to the Burj Al Arab Hotel (ranked # 1 in the world). Stay five nights.

Fly Emirates (rated one of the world's Top two Airlines) to the Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean with perfect weather, 26 atolls and 83 private-island resorts. On arrival, tale a 30-minute sea plane ride to the One & Only Kanuhura private island resort, with 100 luxurious villas along the water's edge.

Your launch will take you back to Male Airport for your overnight flight back to the States via Dubai.

This is the vacation for those seeking the "Best" in each component of their vacation, from airline to destination to accommodations.

Everyone does lists but us. If you are thinking about a vacation within the States and you want a sure thing, here is our current ranking of the five absolute best resorts in the United States:

# 3 - Amangani in Jackson Hole, Wyoming# 4 - The Sanctuary Kiawah island, South carolina

Wave month is upon us and wave week, the heaviest booking week of the year will arrive next Monday. Inustry analysts and executives are reporting the following trends:

01 - There is greater than normal weakness in the Caribbean requiring the extention of promotional pricing that was supposed to end in January.

02 - There has been a strong six-month surge in the booking of so-called exotics, featuring itineraries of 15 days or longer. Each of the lines doing Around the World cruises has reported record percentages of guests taking the full cruise versus segments.

03 - The luxury sectort is having some challenges in Europe but the premium brands are seeing extremely strong bookings.

Some lines feel that they will be able to "put Europe to bed" by the end of this month.

The travel press has been slow to report a growing level of crime directed toward American cruise ship passengers exploring certain European ports. Barcelona is one of Europe's most dangerous ports. On the November 4th sailing of the Crystal Serenity, two groups of passengers were attacked as they walked the streets of Barcelona.

One suffered serious knife wounds. In another incident on the same cruise, a couple was accosted at a red light as they sat in their rental car. A motorcyclist tried to force them out of the car. French police are now advising tourists not to stop at red lights in Nice after midnight becasue the situation has gotten so serious.

Americans renting cars along the French Riviera should know that criminals can easily identify their vehicles a vehicle from the rental pool.

Visa and Mastercard issuing banks have continued to jump on the "Out-of-Country" Fee scam. The vast majority of bank-issued Visa and Mastercards are now charging a 3% penalty fee for all foreign purchases made on their cards.

In addition, we are receiving reports that interest payment penalties are now beginning on the date of the charge, rather than the previous 20-30 day period after the original charge.

Holders of airline mileage credit cards are reminded that the IRS will allow tax payments by credit card in a number of circumstances. Please discuss this strategy with your accountant.

There is a list you need to look at. It is Seabourn Cruise LIne's list of Signature Value Sailings. Past guests of Seabourn, currently rated # 1 in the world in our latest traveltruth update, can now receive unprecedented savings of 50% Per Guest! This could bring the price of a seven-night cruise in Europe down as low as $2998 on this all-inclusive, gratuities included fleet. (Most fares will be higher)

And here's the secret. They define "Past Guest" as anyone who has sailed on any one of the parent company's lines of lesser quality. So if you have sailed Princess, Holland America, Carnival, Costa, or Windstar you are eligible for these same past guest rates. It is the single best cruise offer we know since it involves upgrading on a 2-1 basis with the world's very best cruise line.

Maverick cruise line, Oceania, has just completed the full out purchase of the ships it had been leasing from the holding company, Cruiseinvest for a total cost of $375 million.

Oceania has been realizing substantial early bookings as a result of its 2-1 pricing with Free Air offers. As of mid-October, the line's 2007 inventory was 72% sold with more than 30% of 2008 under deposit.

It turns out that research shows that Tuesday is the best day to secure low airfares, New fares are usually determined at Monday morning meetings. The fares are completed and available to book first thing Tuesday morning after being placed in the database on Monday night.

There are millions of exceptions to this advice. No hard and fast rules here. But if you have a choice, Tuesday should be your day to search out low fares.

Here is the confusion - the rules regarding Mexico, Alaska/Canada, and the Caribbean are, as things now stand, different for those who are flying into a neighboring country versus those who are cruising or driving. Technically, air travelers will need a Passport as of January 8th 2007. That's just a few weeks away. Cruisers to Alaska/Canada, for example, have until 2009. But the date for 2009 is not fixed and could bemoved up.

Meanwhile, some cruise lines, such as Princess, have already announced that they are requiring passports of all Alaska cruisers in 2007.

The Bottom Line: Since world conditions may make it necessary to have a passport for Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean sooner than 2008, all travelers are strongly advised to apply for a passport immediately. This includes children of all ages.

Why: Suppose you go on your cruise - without a passport. But you need to go home mid-cruise due to family emergency or illness. You would be flying into the U.S. without a required passport.

Details: A first-time passport costs $97 and is valid for ten years. For details visit www.travel.state.gov

Tehran's Official Republic News Agency reported, this week, that Iran is just simply not getting its fair share of American tourists. So, in an announcement that is bathed in irony, the nation's tourism minister, Mohammed Sharif Malakzadeh announced that his

department will pay travel agents $20.00 per head, hopefully not literally, for any American or European Tourists booked on vacation trips into the country.

If you are, say Asian, or South American - sorry - your travel agent only makes $10.00 a head.

I wish I had sat in on the focus group that discussed this new travel incentive.

Beautiful hotel palaces vie with the world's most enticing shopping arcades and you get to arrive on one of the world's top two airlines.

But Dubai's ruling Maktoum family, which holds controlling stock in the nation's three largest luxury real estate firms, is spreading its wings - as only Dubai can spread them

Look for mega resort projects with sports, hotel, and shopping components to emerge in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Turkey, Jordan, and Pakistan. But the first project is going to be Oukaimeden, in Morocco.

We're talking about imitation beaches, world class golf, two or three of the world's most luxurious hotels flanked by scores of millionaires villas etc. etc. Morocco, according to Newsweek Magazine, has earmarked $19 billion for this project.

Wherever you turn in the Middle East, well not exactly everywhere, no immediate projects are scheduled for Iraq, Dubai-style luxury gated communities are on the drawing boards. One of the wealthiest corners of the planet is constructing a new look that will make the Middle East a haven for those seeking the world's most upscale lifestyles.

Conde Nast Readers name Regent Seven Seas and Sea Dream Yacht Club Best in Class:

The Conde Nast Reader's Choice Awards for 2006 were announced last evening. in front of an auditorium filled with industry execs in New York's Museum of Natural History.

The star-studded event had the feel of the Academy Awards, with red carpet, press, and an elegant pre-awards reception in the midst of the Oceanographic section of the museum.

The two cruise awards were greeted with a ripple of surprise and applause. Crystal Cruises had swept the large ship award for years. That was not to be last night.

By the narrowest of margins, Regent Seven Seas was named "World's Best Large Ship" Cruise Line. This might have been a surprise to the crew aboard Regent's 490 Guest Navigator.

A murmer of shock could be heard as "Sea Dream Yacht Club" was named "World's Best Small Ship Cruise Line." Quite an honor for a cruis eline whose total guest capacity is 200.

Our recent evaluations are in line with both awards. We feel that Regent Seven Seas and Sea Dream, albeit different experiences, have learned how to implement recent improvements with a high degree of consistency.

Expressing confidence in the growth of the luxury sector of the cruise industry, parent Carnival cruise lines has announced the construction of two new ships for its Seabourn division.

The two new ships will be built in Italy at a cost of $250 each. The ships will be 32,000 tons with 225 cabins.

Speculation has been rampant regarding the ability of the three top luxury brands, Seabourn, Silverseas, and Regent Seven Seas to thrive without consolidation.

With this announcement, Carnival has made it clear that Seabourn is not for sale.

It is now possible to bring one plastic, see-through ziploc bag with a "reasonable" amount of necessities aboard most domestic flights. It is, therefore, possible to apply moisturizer passing ovcer Cleveland at 33,000 feet.

Although one of the world's great travel destinations, crime is areas of South Africa has reached a point where a number of governments are now issuing warning to its citizens about travel to the cities. Johannesburg Airport is home to organized gang activity as are numerous bus and railway stations. Car jackings are a major problem and muggings can occur at any hour of the day or night. Durban, Pretoria, and even Kruger Park visitors are now being warned of travel dangers in these areas. The US travel press, unlike the media in Australia and New Zealand, for instance, has been slow to inform potential visitors to South Africa of the crime problem. Stories are hard to write because crime statistics are not being released to the public by the police.

Now, even Cape Town, previously known as a safe haven, has its problems. Visitors to Table Mountain are being advised to travel excluseively in groups because of attacks on visitors using the roads into the park.

Sea Dream Yacht Club - Extremely strong advance bookings for these yacht-like 100 guests ships.

Rave reviews and Berlitz claims of "Best food of any US ship" has created very positive buzz.

Royal Caribbean - Freedom of the Seas Inaugurals went so well that the newest ship is gathering most of the attention. Meanwhile, seven-day Caribbean market is down. Sister company, Celebrity has committed to doubling the number of ships in Europe next year. Is this overkill given the fact that the Med is prone to the anxieties of the Middle East.

Norwegian Cruise Line: - Some poor financial results last quarter raised eyebrows. But the Hawaii product is a lock - no one else has it and it would take an Act of Congress to secure permission to operate in Hawaiian waters. NCL is Singapore-owned by Congress voted them special dispensation to sail seven days out of Honolulu. They tried to go with an American crew, required by their agreement, and found that the young Americans they were employing did not have the same work ethnic as the foreign labor employed on other ships. Can they recover?

Silverseas: - Right now, the talk of the industry. Rated Best in he World by us and virtually every rating organization, Silverseas has encountered some stormy seas as a result of the departure of a number of key on-board personnel. Problems seem limited to two of the vessels and the specific area of concern seems centered on the dining room and front desk. Rudeness and a lack of special service by crew members who somehow seem to have missed the fact that they are working for the "World's Best" seems to be the primary problem. Both Seabourn and Regent Seven Seas are the major beneficiaries.

Tauck Tours: The newly launched Swiss Emerald, which Tauck is using this summer on its Danube programs, came out of the yard exceeding all expectations. If this fleet expands with similar vessels and the kind of suites featured ont he Emerald, Tauck could become a major player in the European River Cruise Market.

Holland America: - The "Signature Service" upgrades, once derided as gimmickry, is now seen as a major strategic advantage for HAL in the 2007 Alaska and Europe Market. Three pillow choices, luxurious new bedding, and high-tech demonstration kitchens with a plethora of Great Chefs programs helping Holland America stand out as a premium brand. But how does Carnival position HAL when it also owns Princess, former arch-rival of Holland America, and thought to be a real competitor in the luxury category.

Old thinking - Holland will be for the traditionalists Princess will be the innovator with lots of choices for boomers - and their kids. But HAL won;t roll over and play dead so this rivalry is still interesting.

Oceania - The hottest of the hot. 2 for 1 pricing in Europe plus round-trip free airfare to Europe, has proven to be the promotion that drives them through the door. Some consultants expect Oceania to be sold out in Europe long before their rivals in 2007. Product reviews are quite good and the food is almost as good as the cruise lines claims. The crew seems happy and no one is looking at the original price that was cut in half. Why does all the marketing genius reside in their offcies?

Celebrity Cruises has become the first major player to blink when it comes to cruise calls in Turkey. As a result of bombings in Istanbul two weeks ago, the line has eliminated planned stops in Istanbul and Kusadasi and replaced them with Dubrovnik and Messina in Italy.

The cancellations aboard the Galaxy will inconvenience large numbers of passengers who have made private shore arrangements to view the highlights of Istanbul and the wonders of Ephesus, the primary port highlight in Kusadasi.

Several lines had already changed Istanbul from an embarkation or disembarkation port to a mid-cruise port becasue marketing departments now feel that Istanbul Airport is a net liability.

This weekend, tens of thousands of Americans will make a conscious decision to drive the family somewhere instead of dealing with the hectic, tension-filled delays at our nation's airports. And because of this decision, a percentage of them will die.

This happened just after 9/11. Afraid to fly, Americans packed up the SUV's and packed the family off on road trips. This is one of the most dangerous activities in which one can engage. Short of walking through a dangerous neighborhood at night, driving in America carries serious risk. In fact, if you do go to the airport and fly overseas, your life span actually increases. It increases in exact proportion to the length of time you are away from home.

The single biggest reason is that you will not be driving - therefore your predicted life span goes up.

With our silly vehicles, including giant SUV's that are plastered with "Support Our Troops" ribbons (If you really want to support the troops you might start by not supporting Arab oil), and our cell phone addictions, and our growing propensity to choose to dine while driving, Americans are gaining an interesting reputation as some of the world's worst drivers. And that doesn't;t even factor in our need for hot coffee within inches of our collective groins.

You do have an alternative to long luggage lines at the airport and the predicted substantial increase in lost baggage claims due to security delays. Cimoanies such as Luggage-Free, based in New York, will come to your home, pick up your bags, and transfer them to your destination, safely, and quickly.

What I like about Luggage Free is the ability to customize method of delivery - two-day is less expensive than overnight delivery etc.

The removal of the stress alone might be worth the price. You can reach Luggage-Free at 800-288-9818 for a free quote.

01 - The fact that a large group of British citizens was planning to blow up more then ten airliners in tandem over the Atlantic has taken many top security consultants by surprise. It has been widely assumed that the next attack of a serious magnitude would involve either domestic chemical poisoning or a shoulder-mounted small missile attack on an airliner. IN fact, it is this latter scenario, that has had airline executives most concerned, since a rogue cowboy, acting on his own, near any international airport, could literally shoot a plane out of the sky simply based on its livery.

It had been thought that the next stage would not involve carrying weapons or bomb-making materials aboard aircraft.

02- One part of the story that is never stated by the talking heads is the absolute fact that you are safer going out to the nearest international airport and getting on a plane to Europe then you are staying at home.

Be aware that the following airlines have been linked to terrorist threats and planning.

This list is subject to change - quickly and often. Discuss it with your travel consultant.

04 - What can you bring onboard? Will we be safer because the person sitting next to us could not bring his toothpaste or deodorant onboard? Probably not. But they have to do something. Allow three hours for international and domestic flight check-in until further notice.

You may also want to watch the current confusion regarding carry-on electronics. NBC News reported, incorrectly, that cell phones, Blackberry's, and laptop computers would no longer be allowed in the cabin. For now, you can travel with this equipment - but leave chug the Starbuck's latte before you get to security.

05 - Most of this is, of course, cosmetic. Because what they really won;t tell us is that the Israeli's know how to keep their aircraft safe. As the head of Israeli flight security told CBS's Sixty Minutes, "the difference is that we know who is boarding our aircraft at the time they make their reservation. You (America) wait until they get to the airport." The next likely step is an impossible to forge security ID, perhaps using fingerprint technology.

For now - think with your head and not your heart. Remember you are statistically safer when you fly then you are staying home.

Churchill and Turen Ltd. will shortly become one of the first authorized travel firms in the world to book space tourists. The programs are now available in conjunction with Richard Bramson's launch of Virgin Galactic, the tour operator devoted to space tourism.

The tickets, now available on Virgin's Galactic, will take 150 passengers into suborbitol space for fifteen minutes, including five minutes of weightlessness.

Those who have already booked this program include the designer Philippe Starck as well as a member of the British Royals who has not yet been identified. The price of each ticket is $200,000. Ticket sales to date total $15 million.

For those who might want to try experiencing weightlessness at a lower cost, may we suggest skipping lunch. It was the great Gordon Gecko in the film "Wall Street" who adv

Trend spotters might note that the Four Seasons Hotel chain has started hiring Teen Concierge staff. Their role will be to talk to teen guests about the coolest hang-outs in town, the club scene, available concert tickets etc.

This new service is a tribute to Four Seasons because they are the first to discover several universal truths:

It always amused me that even the virginal wannabe's at Disney Cruise Line, finally figured out that what the teens onboard their ships really wanted was a bar - of sorts. So they now have one, compelete with bar stools, sports ont he wide-screen, pool table etc. Of course the bar is non-alcoholic and serves, among others, a range of coffee drinks. So much better to get the kids high on caffeine then alcohol.

The Chicago City Council is considering legislation that would make the city the first to outright ban food filled with trans fat. The need for this legislation can easily be observed during the city's famous Taste of Chicago, a meg-event that has provided Chicago's cardiologists with substantially more business then they can handle. Chicago was recently awarded the distinction of being recognized as "America's fattest city", a tribute, of sorts, to the town's native cuisine. Pressures have been put on the author of the legislation, Alderman Ed Burke, and he has amended his original proposal to include all food corporations that generate more than $20 million in annual sales. Who could that possibly be?

Meanwhile much like the seats on planes taking off from O'Hare, the new breed of super-sized mega ships, more than two dozen of them, are sufficiently "overweight" to be unable to fit through the Panama Canal. This includes the Voyager class ships on Royal Caribbean, the Grand class ships on Princess, Carnival's Conquest class, and Cunard's new Queen Mary 2. The solution to this ship obesity problem? On October 22nd, voters in Panama will determine if the government can go ahead with plans to expand the present Panama Canal by adding a new lane of traffic for the "fatties", a super-wide lane and a deeper lane than currently exists. The project would be completed in 2014, would double the Canal's size and would be paid for by "higher tolls."

So, let's see .......does that mean that we will all pay for the need to provide special services to the voluntarily obese?

Several independent journalists have concluded that the Starwood Preferred Guest American express Card offers the most mileage for travelers seeking to maximize their options.

This Amex card, which is free for the first year, $30 thereafter, converts dollars spent into Starpoints. These points can be exchanged 1-1 on more than 25 major airlines. The reality is that they are really worth 1.25 miles per dollar spent because Starwood gives you 5,000 additional miles when you convert 20,000 points.

But beware - American Express is charging 2% for all overseas purchases charged on the card to cover their "conversion fees".

A team from the University of Leisterter and colleagues have come up with the news that flying, by itself, does not cause blood clots. It is the sitting for a long time in a confined space that is the culprit and it doesn't much matter of you're sitting in an aircraft or in someone's home shortly after being kidnapped.

The study identifies DVT, Deep Vein Thrombosis, as a more frequent occurrence than originally assumed. For every six 747's taking off from any airport, one passenger will likely suffer a blood clot.

Clots become dangerous when they form in the deep veins of the leg, and then break off to block a blood vessel in the lungs, walking about and doing leg raises are two recommended preventatives. The study points out that long distance car or train sitting is just as likely to cause DVT.

If one conducts one's affairs without ever sitting down, the likelihood of DVT virtually disappears.

(With appreciation to my friend, Suzanne Schumacher)

These are the best current recommendations to utilize your time to seek out the best wines in the Napa Valley:

To Begin: Do Domaine Carneros just before you reach Napa. Some really good champagne in a French Chateau-like setting.

Pinot Noir - Robery Sinskey. Trust us. This is the one.

Sauvignon Blanc - Chateau Potelle. Really lovely and very, very hard to find. We also highly recommend Cakebread Cellers.

Chardonnay - Trefethen Newton - But you should make an appointment

We are now hearing anecdotal evidence that credit card holders who raise a major fuss with their credit card issuers have been successful in getting the 3% charge for overseas purchases rescinded.

The fees have been quietly added by most of the major card issuers foir any pourchase of an overseas based product or service. This, theiretically,means that you could be unknowingly charged the fee even if you purchase travel online in the US if the payment on your card is run through an overseas bank.

Virgin Atlantic has announced that it will be adding private double beds to its configuration of the new Airbus 380, the world's largest jetliner now under construction. Virgins version of the new aircraft will also feature a small gym and an on-board casino. If you can work out, gamble, and sleep on this aircraft, why would you ever get off? Well, perhaps to shower. But not to worry - when it takes delivery of its first 380,Dubai-based Emirates Airlines says it will have showers for upper class passengers to be located on the plane's lower deck.

Industry anaysts believe that a rumored strike by Delta pilots could prove fatal to the airline. Although this scenario is unique, Delta's pilots are uniquely fed-up with management. The key datre may be April 15th when the arbitration board in this case is expected to rell delta they must make an additional $300 million in pay cuts. If you are holding Delta tickets these are sme things worth noting:

01 - Your travel insurance will not protect you against losses since most policies consider strikes non-insurable.

02 - Airlines abide by their "Contract of Carriage", a copy of which normally appears on ticket holders or in fine print on theor web site. This constitutes the legal contract between you and the airline. Delta is not required to put you on another airline nor are other airlines required to accept a Delta ticket at face value. You would normally receive a refund for the value of your ticket but that could be a long process if you paid cash. Credit card payments should be quickly refunded. Unfair - but that's the way this has worked in the past.

03 - Cruise lines and tour operators that ticket on Delta as part of their air/sea or tour package have an obligation to get you to your ship or tour and, in the event of this strike, they will attampt to make alternative travel arrangements. However, guests who have been booked on Delta, may want to consider booking their air directly on alternative carriers.

Now that the smoke has, literally, cleared, the results of the fire that took the Star Princess out of service have come into focus.

01 - Princess crew received, almost universal, praise from passengers regarding the manner in which they handled this emergency. Affected guests were quick to assure the press that they would go again on Princess.

03 - The ship is on-track to return to service on May 15th. This is due, in part, to the moduler method of building modern mega-liners. Replacement of cabin sections and refitting tales weeks not months. This is one reason that refurbishments are so successful.

04 - Industry analysts are pleased and a little surprised that the story passed so quickly. Crew performing as per their training, is, in this travcel tabloid age, a rather boring story.

Travelers who stay in $159 per night rooms off New York's Times Square are not 'deluxe travelers" but you would have though they were by the breathless reporting in Prime Time on ABC last night. The show's premise, with the aid of a certified bug expert, was that the nation's hotel rooms are sporting "uninvited guests". In fact, the hotel used, the Crown Royale, did have a problem in one of its rooms but the bug expert pointed out that "there could also be a hundred rooms in this hotel with no bugs at all."

Good Morning America jumped on the ABC anti-hotel bedbug crusade. It reported that "legions of bloodsucking bugs are biting their way through the Big Apple."

01 - There is an "epidemic" and a sure way to locate the bedbugs is by booking hotel rooms in central Manhattan for less than $300 a night.

02 -Mattress manufacturers have been taking used mattresses, reconditioning them, and selling them as new. This has helped spread the problem.

03 - The first place to look for the blood stains that accompany bedbug rest areas is behind the headboard. Most lift away. This is an area that is never cleaned by hotel personnel and the bugs, as simple as they are, seem to know this. The next best thing to do is lift the mattress and use a flashlight. Or, you could stay exclusively in hotels located within Switzerland.

Radisson Cruise line has long-suffreed from its association with the mid-range Radisson Hotel brand. Now, parent company, Carlson companies, has purchased the upscale Regent Hotel chain and Radisson has been renamed Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Look for newservice standards, new bedding, and a rather comprehesive branding of the name Regent to connote quality of the Ritz Carlton variety. Regent is serious.

In a bold move, the cruise line's charismatic President, Mark Conroy, has been given the dual role of running the line as well as the new hotel brand. This is a synergy that is new for the industry It is a direct partnership between a seagoing and a land-based luxury hotel operation, with one person at the helm. It is going to be fun watching Regent Hotels grow and Regent Seven Seas Cruises flexing its muscles as it competes with the world's top two cruise lin