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SMART FLYER. NEVER GET BUMPED AGAINAir travel isn't what it used to be. With overcrowded planes and endless delays, flying is a headache we'd rather avoid. Another reason to dread air travel: the chances of getting bumped off your plane are the highest they've ever been.Nearly 53,000 passengers were denied boarding on U.S. airlines from January to September 2007, according to the Office of Airline Information at the Department of Transportation, and numbers for the entire year are expected to exceed those of the past two years: 45,000 passengers were bumped from flights in 2005, and in 2006 the number jumped to almost 56,000. The airline with the worst record for bumping is Atlantic Southeast, the SkyWest subsidiary based in Atlanta. Almost five out of every 10,000 passengers were denied boarding here. The next two worst offenders are Comair, a Delta Air Lines subsidiary, and Delta Airlines. You have the least chance of getting bumped if you fly JetBlue Airways -- .02 of every 10,000 passengers were denied boarding in the first three quarters of 2007. The Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization estimates that 1.67 billion people took to the skies in 2000. By 2006 that number ballooned to 2.1 billion people. With more air travelers than ever before, and with airlines increasingly overbooking flights to compensate for "no shows," it's no surprise that there's an increased likelihood of passengers being denied boarding. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make sure you're not booted off the plane. Having a confirmed seat when you buy your ticket is essential. Since airlines are overbooking flights, not having a seat assignment will increase your chances of getting bumped. We recommends checking in online 24 hours prior to departure. You should always log on at home the day before departure and print out your boarding pass. If you're already checked in, it's unlikely you'll be denied boarding. Additionally, it's wise to avoid flying during peak travel periods like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it's best to travel early in the day because planes are less crowded. Flying in the late afternoon or evening sometimes means that airlines are dealing with a backlog of delays and rebooked passengers who didn't make earlier flights. Always ask your airline for the passenger bill of rights, which details what you're entitled to. These rules are established by the Department of Transportation and protect passengers from bumped seats and cancellations. Additionally, if you're bumped and get to your destination up to two hours later than originally scheduled, you're entitled to the amount equal to the price of your one-way fare, with a maximum of $200. Get there more than two hours later, and you'll get an amount equal to 200% of your fare, with a maximum of $400. If the airline doesn't get you to your destination within 24 hours, then you're entitled to a full refund of the ticket price plus $400. You should immediately file a complaint with the DOT if your airline isn't following these rules. Because of the negative rap they've received recently, airlines are trying to do everything they can to cultivate customer loyalty, so in addition to these benefits they will offer extra perks like free tickets and meal vouchers. Since these rules aren't set in stone and vary based on the airline, it's difficult to suss out which airline is the most generous. That said, JetBlue and Southwest are reportedly giving fliers the best compensation. The small airlines are usually the most generous with their customers in giving more than what's required by law. In general, though, all airlines are getting increasingly generous in a bid to get customers.
Voluntary bumping In the recent past, rewards for giving up seats could be anything from an upgrade to first-class on the next flight to a coupon for a free meal at the airport. For international routes and longer domestic flights, such as New York to Los Angeles, passengers often received a voucher to use toward a future flight, the amounts totaling anywhere from $250 to $500. Today the airlines are so hungry for customer loyalty they're handing out cold hard cash when people voluntarily give up their seats. The airlines are giving out anywhere between $500 and $1000 in cash, or writing a check on the spot. There is, of course, a catch. Travelers can only expect to make big bucks on international and longer domestic flights. Giving up your seat from New York City to Boston, for example, isn't necessarily going to translate into $500, since there are dozens of daily flights between the two cities.
Parting with your seat on an overbooked plane from LA to London, however, can mean big bank. "It's not fun to miss a long-haul flight, but the bigger your problem, the bigger your pay day."
According to Tim Herek, golf pro at Oahu's Hawaii Prince Golf Club, vacationing golfers are paying more attention to their pocketbooks now due to economic concerns.
Thanks to the Internet, travelers are better informed about golf resorts, said Brendan Moynahan, golf pro at Lanai's Experience at Koele.
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the Big Island is responding to the family travel trend as well.
"We now let juniors play free every other day, as long as they're with their parents," said John Freitas, Hualalai's golf director. "We want our customer service to be as good as possible, because we may only get one chance to impress our guests."
Matthew Hall serves as director of golf at Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu's North Shore. Hall said he's seeing an increase in visitors who stay in Waikiki and drive to the North Shore for one day of golf.
Turtle Bay Resort is keenly aware of this, Hall said. "We're doing what we can to make the drive worthwhile.
On Oahu, the average play for visitors tends to be two to three rounds per golfer, in sharp contrast to Big Island golfers who average five to six rounds, Hall said.
Since visitors are playing fewer rounds, he said, "they are looking to play the best courses. They expect great service and course conditions".
With three courses and a golf academy, Maui's Kapalua Resort is promoting itself as a destination that can handle practically any golfer's needs, according to Gary Planos, vice president of Kapalua Resort operations.
"Guests want to play fewer rounds of golf," Planos said."They're looking for other ways to fill up their time on Maui. Our golf academy has been a tremendous enhancement to the golf experience. It lets guests focus on improving their games through private lessons or the golf schools offered here, while not taking away a lot of time from their vacation.
To remain competitive, the Prince Course provides cold face towels, chilled water on the golf cart, a Global Positioning System (GPS) device and an updated yardage guide to make the North Kauai greens more navigable.
For similar reasons, Wailea Golf Club on Maui recently added GPS units to its entire fleet of 270 carts. Our customers are beginning to expect such amenities when they play at a high-end resort club, said Barry Helle, marketing manager at Wailea Golf Club. We're also devoting significantly more time and energy to staff training, a critical part of providing exceptional service to our guests.
Many resorts offer top-of-the-line brands in their rental program, Helle said. We've had guests who had brought along their own clubs, choose to rent clubs from us instead, because ours were of such high caliber.
Kauai's Poipu Bay Golf Course wants to make sure guests know that they're not playing on their course back home, so it has imbued the golf experience with an atmosphere of Hawaii.
We share the uniqueness of our culture, from the aloha attire of our uniforms and our warm island-style greetings, to our golf shop decor and our signage, said Michael Castillo, Poipu Bay head golf pro.
The facility also lets clients know that it hosts the annual PGA Grand Slam of Golf. Our guests get the added thrill of playing on a course where the pros play each year, he said. For Hawaii air/hotel discounts....... on all four islands.... see....
"Hawaii" @ TravelDiscounts.com
RailEurope. Europe has some of the best railway systems and scenic routes in the world. This is a great site for finding train schedules, Eurail passes and rail/drive and rail/fly packages.
PriorityPass. Airports can be boring places between flights, especially if you have business to take care of or just want someplace nice to relax. PriorityPass offers access to airline lounges around the globe for food, drinks, Internet access, and a pleasant refuge from airport crowds.
Country Codes software. Saber Naeemi's handy little utility provides a wealth of information which makes it perfect for stand-alone laptop use (I use it on every computer I own.) Want to know a dialing code, ISO currency code, even a country's Olympics code? Any code not here is probably classified! With online access, it provides links to handy net resources as well. And it's free!
World Weather Forecasts. So you'll know whether to take your umbrella to London or your swimsuit to Rio (not that you wouldn't anyway!).
Currency Exchange Rates. Microsoft's Expedia has one of the most comprehensive currency converters available. (If you don't see what you want, choose “Expand Currency List.”) TravLang also has an excellent currency converter, with some nice features. Another good one is the Oanda Currency Converter.
Time and Date.com. Does anybody really know what time it is? These guys do. Everywhere.
Foreign Languages for Travelers. Learn useful words and phrases in more than 60 languages. To talk dirty, however, you'll need to consult The Alternative Dictionaries.
Airport Codes. Air travelers regularly wade through an assortment non-intuitive airport codes like LHR, YYR, GIG, CDG, etc. This searchable database operated by the Melbourne Airport Authority lets you identify an airport code code or look up the codes for the airports in a particular city. Airlines are similarly coded; the Airline Designator Codes feature lets you find these codes in a number of ways.
Subway Navigator. Whenever I visit a new city, I make it a point to ride the subway (metro, underground, "tube," subterráneo, whatever...). This page is one of the coolest I've seen, with info on subways around the world. If you carry a Palm or Pocket PC, you might also find Metró to be a useful program.
Which Side of the Road Do They Drive On? Should you need to take the wheel, this will help determine which side of the car you need to get into to avoid looking foolish (it happens to the best of us!).
VISA ATM Locator. Because of the increasing number of automated teller machines worldwide, I no longer use travelers cheques (big difference in the exchange rates). This page helps you find the closest ATM to wherever you are. There's also the Mastercard/Maestro/Cirrus ATM Locator for users of those cards.
Current U.S. State Department Travel Advisories. See what Uncle Sam has to say about conditions in your destination country, including danger zones and general information about crime, road travel and the quality of medical care. Similar information is available from the UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
Hot Spots. As you no doubt know, there's a fair amount of unrest and turmoil in the world these days. Air Security International prepares daily reports each Monday through Friday to keep travelers advised of global events ranging from guerilla attacks to protest marches to union elections, along with tropical weather updates and significant dates worldwide. Also, the CIA World Factbook is more chock full of facts than a high school geography text.
Traveler's Health. Vital information from the US Center for Disease Control & Prevention on needed vaccines, areas of concern, and how to keep the food and water from spoiling your trip.
World Public Holidays Database. A searchable listing of national and religious holidays around the world. It might keep you from scheduling that conference during an important religious holiday in a certain place.
On the Road Newsletter. News and resources for the computer-carrying international traveler.
Cybercafe Search Engine. Locate Cybercafes around the world to improve your odds of Internet access while traveling. Also worth a visit is the Internet Cafe search engine at Backpacker's Cafe.
World Official Tourism Sites. Links to state and national official tourism sites around the globe.
Though traveling independently, your booking a Canada à la Carte Vacation will receive the quality, service and value that our guests have come to appreciate when traveling with Brennan Vacations. All vacations are pre-planned and are designed for the discerning traveler who wishes to travel independently without the constraints of group travel. Detailed driving itineraries, private sedan airport transfers, local and regional maps, destination information, custom documentation package and an emergency travel assistance line are just some of the services Brennan Vacations provides on your Canada á la Carte Independent Vacation. The only limitation is your imagination!
Vacation opportunities range from world-class resorts, city tours, nature and wildlife adventures to one-of-a-kind festivals such as the Calgary Stampede. Additional opportunities, to name a few, include spa treatments; culinary and wine events; rail adventures to driving and motorcoach tours. With Canada à la Carte the possibilities are endless!
A sample of the endless possibilities...
Vancouver & Victoria Explorer, 4 Nights / 5 Days -
From $544 pp/dbl
The dual city package includes: 2 nights in Vancouver, 2 nights in Victoria, room tax, sedan airport transfer, city tours of Vancouver and Victoria with Butchart Gardens, round-trip bus/ferry between Vancouver and Victoria, High Tea at the Fairmont Empress. A sample of optional excursions and a la carte activities include: a day tour to the resort of Whistler, whale watching, wilderness kayaking to river rafting.
Toronto Explorer, 3 Nights / 4 Days -
From $341 pp/dbl
Inclusions are: 3 nights hotel and room tax, Roundtrip airport sedan transfers, 2 hour city tour of Toronto, ride atop the CN Tower offering spectacular views of the city and Lake Ontario. A sample of optional excursions and a la carte activities include: a day tour to Niagara Falls or the nearby wineries and the charming village of Niagara-on-the-Lake, a helicopter tour over Toronto or Niagara Falls, unique dinner shows or dinner atop the CN Tower, or perhaps a Theatre or museum experience.
Halifax Explorer, 3 Nights / 4 Days -
From $346 pp/dbl
Inclusions are: 3 nights hotel and room tax, 7.5 hour tour to historic Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg, 2 hour Halifax harbor cruise, admission to Casino Nova Scotia. A sample of optional excursions and a la carte activities include: a nature and whale watching cruise and an impressive array of entertainment, museums, galleries and historic sites to
experience.
Calgary Stampede, 3 Nights / 4 Days -
From $603 pp/dbl
Inclusions are: 3 nights hotel and tax, Round-trip private airport sedan transfer, gate admission to the Calgary Stampede, afternoon rodeo ticket, evening ticket to the Chuckwagon Race and Grandstand Show (Section A), admission to Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, a souvenir event program and high quality embroidered golf shirt and a skyride across Stampede Park.
Rockies Classic by Rail, 7 Nights / 8 Days -
From $1,479 pp/dbl
inclusions are: 6 nights hotel and tax, 1 night bedroom accommodation and meals on VIA Rail, private sedan transfer from Vancouver International Airport to hotel, private sedan transfer from hotel to Vancouver train station, Ice Explorer Excursion on Athabasca Glacier, admission to Lookout Tower in Vancouver, sightseeing tours of Vancouver, Jasper to Lake Louise, Banff, bus transfers from Lake Louise to Banff, Banff
to Calgary International Airport and all National Park entrance fees.
To view the many additional suggested itineraries, visit
www.traveldiscouints.com or call Travel Discounts Independent Vacations Reservations: 408-813-1111
One thing never changes---do not ever, under any circumstances, pay brochure rate. You can do better, often as much as half off those inflated fares. These factors can enter the mix when pricing cruises:
* The date of your cruise: Fares are seasonal, with the lowest from about the second week of September until the week before Thanksgiving and the highest in summer and during holiday periods.
* When you book: Early booking discounts are nearly always offered; last-minute discounts might be available. Call 408.813.1111 and check our price.
* Popularity of the ship: Some ships are stars and fill quickly, while others are wallflowers and just don't book up as fast.
* Itinerary: Certain itineraries hold higher appeal, especially those considered unique or exotic.
* Age: Fare discounts may be available for senior citizens, and children sometimes sail free with their parents.
* Where you live: Regional discounts may be available, particularly if a cruise line is trying to introduce a ship into a port near where you live.
* Group pricing: Even if you're not a member of a group, we may have access to lower group fares.
* You're a repeat passenger: Discount and other goodies are often available to loyal passengers.
* The accommodations you choose: Advertisements for low fares inevitably include the word "from..." and the figure that follows is going to get you on board in the lowest category; if you want a better cabin, you'll pay more for the space and location you prefer.
When you feel the fare is right, seal the deal. It could be gone in an hour. Call
Travel Discounts.... 408.813.1111.
Hotel 41. Bamboo in the window beckons guests to the warmly lit lobby of the Hotel 41. This stylish hotel is not meant for family visits; rooms are tiny. Most standard rooms face a brick wall, but if you can get past the size and not-so-thrilling views, it's a cozy place to stay, with a bed showing off crisp linens and a TV hanging above the closet. Bathrooms are elegant, with half-glass showers, original tile on the floor, and Aveda amenties. Downstairs, Bar 41 is a dark sports bar-like hangout with rock music loudly playing. Find serenity in the intimate back room wine cellar. Pros: DVD player in rooms; some rooms have refrigerators. Cons: Lack of queen-size beds; small rooms. 206 W. 41st St. 212/703-8600 (ph.). 212/302-0895 (fax). www.hotel41nyc.com. 47 rooms. In-room facilities: safe, refrigerator (some), DVD, ethernet. In-hotel facilities: restaurant, room service, bar, concierge, laundry, parking (fee) no-smoking rooms. AE, MC, V. Rates start at $249.
Millennium UN Plaza Hotel New York. For those who relish the idea of rubbing elbows with diplomats, you can't get much closer to the United Nations than the Millennium UN Plaza Hotel New York. Ask to stay in the newer East Tower, where you'll find modern earth-toned rooms (some with flat-screen TVs) and bathrooms stocked with Gilchrist & Soames amenities. West Tower rooms, while laden with tired furnishings, are good for extended visits because of their full kitchens. Squeezing in time to play at this hotel is easy. Guests can take a dip in the indoor pool and test their backhand on the indoor tennis court. Pros: rooms on the 28th floor offer terrific views; massage and sauna facilities available. Cons: no free Internet; no complimentary breakfast. One United Nations Plaza. 212/758-1234 (ph.). 212/702-5051 (fax). www.millenniumhotels.com. 87 rooms. In-room facilities: safe, kitchen (some), ethernet. In-hotel facilities: bar, no-smoking rooms, room service, tennis court, concierge, restaurant, pool, parking (fee), laundry service, gym. minibars. Rooms start at $229.
La Quinta Inn. Smack in the middle of Koreatown and close to Penn Station, this friendly hotel in a beautiful old Beaux Arts building may be one of the best deals in town. Never mind the drab green and burgundy décor when your room features treats like free Wi-Fi, an iPod plug-in, and a bathtub. In the mornings, the free continental breakfast goes beyond the usual fare, with granola and oatmeal. Perhaps the best part about staying here is access to Mé Bar. In the evenings, both guests and locals head up to this year-round mellow rooftop bar for a cocktail in the shadow of the Empire State Building. Pros: self check-in machines; gift shop on the premises for necessities. Cons: no room service; no frills. 17 W. 32nd St. 212/736-1600 (ph.). 212/563-4007 (fax). www.lq.com. 182 rooms. In-room facilities: safe, Wi-Fi (no fee). In-hotel facilities: bar, gym, laundry, public Wi-Fi, parking (fee), no-smoking rooms. AE, D, DC, MC, V. Rooms start at $109.
Casablanca Hotel. When entering the hushed Casablanca, it's hard to believe you're a stone's throw from all the Times Square hoopla. Like something out of its namesake film, a sultry Mediterranean feel permeates the Casablanca, from the mirrors in public spaces to the rooms' ceiling fans, wooden blinds, and dainty little bistro tables. Huge tiled bathrooms, many with windows, feature Baronessa Cali amenities. On the second floor, classical music plays while guests linger in the spacious, library-like Rick's Café for the complimentary breakfast buffet and wine and cheese evenings. Pros: access to the Theater District; all rooms are smoke-free. Cons: no gym (but hotel is near a New York Sports Club); heavy tourist foot traffic. 147 W. 43rd St. 212/869-1212 (ph.). 212/391-7585 (fax). www.lq.com. 48 rooms. In-room facilities: safe, refrigerator, VCR, dial-up. In-hotel facilities: bar, no-smoking rooms, room service, restaurant, parking (fee), laundry service, minibars. AE, DC, MC, V. Rooms start at $249.
Hotel Metro. With its mirrored columns and elegant black-and-white photos in the lobby, the Hotel Metro, housed in an early-20th-century building, has a distinctive retro feel. Guests tend to hang out in the lounge, where coffee and tea are served all day, or in the adjacent library, a quiet nook with sofas and a desk. Upstairs, muted rooms with leather headboards and cushioned Art Deco chairs flaunt tall-ceiling bathrooms with Gilchrist & Soames products. In summer, the Metro Grill rooftop bar promises outstanding Empire State Building views. Pros: renovated exercise room has flat-screen TVs; iHome in rooms. Cons: no DVD players; no spa services. 45 W. 35th St. 212/947-2500 (ph.). 212/279-1310 (fax). www.hotelmetronyc.com. 179 rooms. In-room facilities: safe, Wi-Fi (no fee). In-hotel facilities: restaurant, room service, bar, business center, public Wi-Fi, no-smoking rooms. AE, DC, MC, V. Rooms start at $225.
Old School: Walter Schug's namesake winery has an old-school (as in Bordeaux) winemaking style, and the decidedly downscale tasting room seems like a throwback to the days when Napa and Sonoma winemakers slapped an old door on two sawhorses and poured for whoever stopped by. Schug is known for robust, no-nonsense chardonnays and pinot noirs, but in recent years the cabernet sauvignon has charmed me almost as much.
Sittin' and Sippin': For a change from elbowing your way into a space at a three-deep tasting-room bar, try a place where patrons sit, sip, and enjoy vineyard views. Carneros wineries with table service (outdoors in fine weather) include sparkling-wine houses Gloria Ferrer and Domaine Carneros. Not too far from Domaine Carneros (where you can order caviar, cheese plates, and other light fare) is Bouchaine, whose tasting deck overlooks rolling vineyards. Bouchaine is known for chardonnays and pinot noirs, but the crisp 2006 sauvignon blanc was a recent surprise.
Stand Small: You'll have to stand at the tasting rooms of two small wineries in Sonoma. I used to visit Castle winemaker Vic McWilliams when he sold his wines out of his garage near Bartholomew Park Winery. Since then, he's sold the business so he can concentrate on his real love, creating the wines. Of his vintages currently for sale, the viognier and syrah captivated me the most. Like McWilliams, David Homewood, whose Homewood Winery produces only 3,000 cases a year, prefers a "hands-off" winemaking style that yields a fresh, unmanipulated taste. The 2005 Carneros chardonnay and 2005 McHugh pinot noir won my vote on a recent visit.
Glam Slam: With its postmodern design (the winery building is cleverly folded into rolling hillsides and hidden by greenery), contemporary art collection, and museum of regional wine history, Artesa hits a glam slam before you even reach the tasting room. Unlike Vic McWilliams and David Homewood, Artesa's winemaker, Dave Dobson, is a real tinkerer. Often, on first sip, I'll think he's gotten too precious with his fine tuning but nearly always end up conceding that he's pulled off a wine whose structure -- not to mention his strategy -- is a joy to ponder. Dobson's barrel-fermented 2005 reserve sauvignon blanc is a case in point. The antithesis of Bouchaine's aforementioned 2006 (which, though it's not in Artesa's class, I appreciated for its sprightly simplicity), it manages to be smooth, smoky, complex, and yet still lively on the palate.
We're Talking --and Talking-- History: You'd be hard-pressed to find chattier pourers than the ones I've come across on several visits to Gundlach Bundschu and its sister winery, Bartholomew Park. I favor the former for its wines -- I buy at least some cabernet almost every year -- and the latter for its history (some of California's earliest winemaking was done on the property) and low-key picnic area.
Are the Wines Really This Good?: If you're in a hurry (or just feeling lazy), you can easily sample the output of 12 boutique wineries at the Sonoma-Enoteca wine shop. On a recent visit with friends in the city of Sonoma, I stuck to three favorites: Robert Stemmler (Carneros chardonnay and Nugent Vineyards pinot noir), Favero (a smoothly earthy sangiovese), and Brutocao, whose very-berry zinfandel, made from grapes from Hopland Ranches (Mendocino County), attracted me in spite of my usual lack of enthusiasm for fruity zins. Also on the edge of Sonoma Plaza, in the same block of First Street East as Sebastiani Theatre, are a couple of other wine shops/tasting rooms.
I'm Not in That Much of a Hurry: No matter how much of a hurry I'm in to take that first sip, I usually skip the wineries nearest the city along Highway 121: Roche (nasty stuff), Viansa (often a tourist-bus zoo), Cline (yawn), and Jacuzzi (swank tasting room, but many of the Italian-style wines lack character). Luckily, Ferrer is less than a mile past the last two, and Schug isn't much farther. In the city of Sonoma, I steer clear of Buena Vista Carneros (historic but dull); you can glean the history from equally historic Bartholomew Park.
“If we look at the places around the world where we can position our ships in the summer, Alaska remains one of the strongest destinations,” said Paul Allen, Holland America Line’s vice president of Alaska marketing.
This year, the Alaska season (which runs from May to September) will bring you more choices, including new ships, emerging ports and additional tours. Passengers combining their cruise with a land tour to Denali National Park, home to Mt. McKinley (the tallest peak in North America), will find new hotel accommodations as well.
A total of 13 cruise lines and 42 ships will ply Alaskan waters in 2008. Vessels will range in size from mega-ship to mega-yacht, and include an expedition-style craft, pocket cruiser and steamboat-style paddle-wheeler. The following is a rundown on the highlights and new products for the upcoming season.
Shuffling Ships
Holland America Line brings eight ships to Alaska for the first time since 2003, including two Vista Class ships making their first appearance in Alaska — the Westerdam and Zuiderdam. Also new is a revamped lineup from Princess Cruises, which deploys its largest Alaska vessels, the Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess, on the “Voyage of the Glaciers” featuring two days of glacier viewing on every seven-day cruise.
Royal Caribbean International, meanwhile, becomes the latest line to homeport a ship out of Seattle, the Vision of the Seas, bringing the number of ships departing from the Emerald City to nine.
Norwegian Cruise Line welcomes the Norwegian Wind back to Vancouver and repositions the Norwegian Sun to Seattle alongside the Norwegian Star. On the luxury front, Silversea Cruises returns after a one-year hiatus with a series of Alaska cruises aboard the Silver Shadow. The voyages depart from Anchorage, Vancouver and San Francisco.
Small-Ship Options
For 2008, Cruise West has “more Glacier Bay permits than any other cruise line,” according to officials, and will use them in part to operate new four- and five-day “Glacier Bay Highlights” cruises roundtrip from Juneau, which spend a full day in Glacier Bay.
In Cruise West news, the line has acquired the 138-guest Yorktown Clipper and the 102-guest Nantucket Clipper from Clipper Cruise Line. The Yorktown Clipper will sail its previously published 2008 Alaska itineraries, but now under Cruise West’s ownership and management.
American Safari Cruises received permission from the National Park Service to offer its own new itinerary featuring a full two days in both arms of Glacier Bay. Lindblad Expeditions is installing underwater bow cameras on the Sea Bird and Sea Lion and introducing new photo workshops to its lineup of photo expeditions — conducted in smaller groups for a more intensive program.
Ports With the Buzz
Icy Strait Point, Alaska’s first and only master-planned cruise destination, continues to draw interest from the industry. Cruise lines calling in 2008 include Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Princess and Holland America — which has 18 calls scheduled on Gulf of Alaska cruises aboard the Statendam. Another up-and-coming port is Campbell River, a “First Nations” community in British Columbia which is constructing a cruise-ship dock and native village for the benefit of cruise passengers. Campbell River’s first cruise passengers are expected to arrive in September 2008 aboard Celebrity Cruises’ Mercury. Haines, the artists’ community south of Skagway, expects a growing number of calls, mainly from Holland America’s Ryndam and Veendam.
More Cruisetour Options
Cruise passengers looking to extend their trip with a visit to Denali National Park can enjoy new hotel accommodations from . Princess will add 228 rooms to its two wilderness lodges in the Denali area, while Holland America will construct a new 135-room wing onto the McKinley Chalet Resort, owned by another company but frequented by HAL passengers.
Acorn House
Anchor & Hope
Andrew Edmunds
Canteen,
Lemonia
Original Lahore Kebab House
Busabe Eathai
Song Qué Café
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