The Practice of Causing Giant Orca Whales to Entertain the Public at Theme Parks Across America, May Soon be the Subject of a Courtroom Trial
Posted on 09/17/2014, 11:15 PM
The changing attitudes towards the use of captive animals in travel-related theme parks is, to me, a fascinating subject, and one for which I have a deep sense of shame. Some years ago, I attended the show at Sea World in Orlando, Florida, that featured the antics of a giant orca whale called Shamu. I was mightily entertained and affected by that animal's performance, and actuall...
Posts from the Australian Outback: Day 2 in the Northern Territory Means Camels in the Bush
Posted on 09/17/2014, 5:30 PM
One of my goals in visiting the Uluru area was to explore this eye-poppingly beautiful area in as many ways as possible. But I couldn't, in my wildest imagination, have guessed that that would include seeing the landscape (and the sun set on Uluru) from the back of a camel. After all, camels aren't supposed to BE in Australia. They aren't native to the land, and last I heard, they can't sw...
Posts from the Outback: Day 1 of My Northern Territory Adventure in Uluru National Park
Posted on 09/16/2014, 12:45 AM
You don't know until you go. That could be (and should be) my mantra. Because even destinations I've seen hundreds of times in photos and videos always surprise in person. That certainly has been the case on this latest trip to the Northern Territory of Australia. Sure, I knew the sands were red here, but as the plane was about to land at Ayers Rock Airport, I looked down, and my first, ...
Some Major Lawsuits Brought Against Them May Very Well Spell Doom for a Number of Phony Travel Clubs
Posted on 09/14/2014, 10:15 AM
In recent weeks, a slew of phony travel clubs may have met their doom. And I'm writing about those many deceptive, despicable and contemptible clubs that are out to bilk you. Until just recently, they seemed to be thriving. And then they were served with two major lawsuits brought by airlines and one brought by the Attorney General of Illionis. Suddenly it seems as if...
A Two-Step Procedure, Ending With a Direct Phone Call to the Hotel, Is Probably Your Best Way to Obtain the Lowest-Priced Accommodations for Your Next Trip
Posted on 09/14/2014, 8:45 AM
The evidence seems stronger every day that the best way to get a well-priced, low-cost hotel room is to place a direct phone call to the hotel itself. But you should do so, say all the travel pundits, only after you have first used an internet search engine--like hotels.com, getaroom.com, eurocheapo.com, expedia.com, orbitz.com, and the like--to learn which hotels are already offe...
From Fights About Reclining Seats on Passenger Airlines, to Deceptive Advertising of Airline Fares, There's No Dearth of Recent Travel Developments
Posted on 09/05/2014, 12:30 PM
On three different occasions in the last several weeks, planes flying in the U.S. have made emergency landings because of arguments between passengers over whether one of them is entitled to recline his or her seat. Newspapers, and radio/television newscasts, have erupted in an orgy of comment about the ethics of reclining or not reclining. Less noticed has been the fact that a mail orde...
Would You Believe $60 a Night for a 9-Night Trip on a Princess Ship? Plus Bargains Over the Holidays
Posted on 09/03/2014, 4:00 PM
We periodically ask our friends at AllThingsCruise.com to tell us about the best bargains in cruises at the moment. Here's what they suggested, where to book them, and what, in the opinion of the sellers, makes each one a steal. Remember that although it's currently hurricane season, the major lines will re-book you if a storm threatens your departure, so you can snag these deals with the...
By Springing Extra and Wholly Unexpected Fees on Their Guests, The Hotel Industry has Crossed a Line of Civility and Morality
Posted on 08/29/2014, 7:15 PM
In a state of weary resignation, most of us have become used to the extra charges that airlines now routinely add to their airfares. We think nothing ill of the fee for making a phone call to an airline reservationist, or of the charge for checking luggage onto a flight, or for occupying an economy seat with two inches of extra legroom.. The reason these charges don't ...
Royal Caribbean's Newest Twist: RFID Bracelets Tracking Every Guest and Making Arrangements Quicker
Posted on 08/29/2014, 4:00 PM
RFID bracelets are officially the mark of a mass-market vacation. Walt Disney World was the biggest player to introduce its MagicBands earlier this year. MagicBands help guests link to their tickets and reservations on rides and restaurants. There, the net effect is to require many guests to do hours of pre-research and strategic planning before arriving at the resort, which I think spoils m...
A Number of Seemingly-Inconsequential Travel Developments May Have a Bearing on Your Next Vacation or Trip
Posted on 08/28/2014, 12:15 PM
Pardon the hyperbole, but to me, the biggest recent news in travel was the fight that broke out between a female air passenger who wanted to recline her seat, and a male passenger sitting behind her who attempted to block her from doing that by inserting a rigid plastic doodad into his fold-out tray. When her complaint to a flight attendant failed to cause the male passenger to remove the...
