Disney World Introduces a Slew of Consumer-Unfriendly Changes
Posted on 03/01/2024, 3:45 PM
At this point, complaining that Disney World is a money pit is a little like complaining Las Vegas has dice. We know, we know. But as long as vacation sellers come up with new ways for vacationers to roll snake eyes and lose, we'll keep reporting them. Walt Disney World in Orlando, home of the world's most popular theme park (Magic Kingdom) and a lot more, has set its new list of prices and polic...
A Two-Fer Trip to New Zealand and Tahiti, with Hotels, That Costs the Same As Airfare Alone
Posted on 02/28/2024, 1:30 PM
A good deal saves you money.A really good deal does that, but also solves a problem.I'll put the surprisingly generous deal I found today in the second category. It's for travel from Los Angeles (LAX) or Seattle (SEA) to Auckland, New Zealand, including a 4-night layover in Tahiti. Prices start at $1,496, close to the average cost round-trip airfare between the West Coast of the U.S. and Auckland ...
No, That Norwegian Cruise Line Ship Never Had Cholera Aboard
Posted on 02/28/2024, 7:30 AM
You might have seen headlines like this earlier in the week about Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Dawn, which reported that some 20 passengers were feeling ill:"Thousands stranded on Norwegian Dawn cruise ship hit by possible cholera outbreak" (CBS News)"Norwegian Dawn: Mauritius says cruise ship can dock after cholera scare" (BBC News)"2,000 cruise passengers rejected from port amid fears of cho...
Why Digging Holes at the Beach Is So Dangerous, Especially for Kids
Posted on 02/22/2024, 4:30 PM
A 7-year-old girl was killed on a Florida beach this week when the sand hole she and her brother were playing in collapsed on the children, who were vacationing with their parents. According to news reports, the Indiana family was visiting Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, a small beachfront community near Fort Lauderdale, when the 4-to-5-foot-deep hole collapsed on the kids, burying the boy up to his chest...
Now JetBlue Has Hiked Bag Fees, Too—Quietly and by a Lot
Posted on 02/21/2024, 5:15 PM
Yesterday we told you that American Airlines decided to spring another fee hike for checked baggage on travelers.Well, airlines tend to raise fees in packs. JetBlue has also surprised customers this month by slamming them with the carrier's own inflation of bag fees.On JetBlue, it now costs $45 to check one bag and another $60 to check a second one if you're flying within the U.S., Latin America, a...
Hornblower in Chapter 11: American Queen Shuts Down, More Tourism Icons at Risk
Posted on 02/21/2024, 3:45 PM
The United States lost one of its only overnight cruise companies today.On Feb. 12, Frommer's reported that many of the most powerful travel sellers in the U.S. had suspended sales of trips with American Queen Voyages because of reported irregularities in the company's dealings with agents and customers. "We are working to address the situation as quickly as possible," a representative told Frommer...
American Airlines Raises Bag Fees, Will Ban Some Booking Sites from Points Eligibility
Posted on 02/20/2024, 9:15 AM
It's almost as if the corporations dominating our lives are determined to make back whatever they missed during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. The cost of living is spiraling upward in multiple areas of Americans' lives, but that didn't stop American Airlines from piling on the misery by springing another fee hike on consumers.Travelers awoke on February 20, 2024, to discover they will now pay...
'One Day' Filming Locations: Where in the UK and Europe the Hit Netflix Series Was Shot
Posted on 02/16/2024, 7:00 AM
The hit Netflix limited series One Day has garnered millions of views and jerked many a tear since debuting on the streaming service earlier this month. The 14-episode romance, based on a 2009 novel by David Nicholls (previously adapted for a 2011 film starring Anne Hathaway), follows the relationship of Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (Leo Woodall, recently seen in the second season of The White Lo...
These Are the Safest Caribbean Countries Right Now—Some Islands Are Getting Worse
Posted on 02/02/2024, 5:00 PM
In recent days the U.S. State Department has issued alarming travel warnings for Jamaica and the Bahamas, citing rising crime levels in both countries as reasons for tourists to beware. On the State Department's 4-level travel advisory scale, Jamaica has been bumped up to level 3, which stands for "Reconsider Travel." According to the advisory, "Violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robbe...
Universal’s Epic Universe: New Details About the Florida Theme Park’s Rides and Worlds
Posted on 01/31/2024, 7:00 AM
Florida's Universal Orlando Resort has at last released the first official details about its hotly anticipated upcoming theme park, Universal Epic Universe. First announced in 2019 and set to open in 2025, the new park—Universal Orlando's fourth, if you count the waterslide park—is still under construction and has been widely reported to be costing Universal parent company Comcast over $1 billion...
