There isn’t a single wisp of smoke curling out of the top of Mount Vesuvius as we walk up its stony brown slopes.

A few birds are twittering in the bushes, but we leave we them behind as the path rises above fertile ground. It’s silent, except for the scrunch of feet on clinker. It’s too quiet, too calm. Are we about to get taken out in an unexpected rumble of smoke, ash, flames and lava spewing into the skies and tumbling down upon us? Read the rest of this entry »

The September Alaskan air was cool but not cold. Nevertheless, I didn’t begrudge the coat I brought with me. I was too excited by what lay ahead to feel anything but anticipation in any event. It was my first trip to Alaska, and the second for my wife Judi. Today we were going to have the opportunity for a special adventure. Our destination: the glaciers of the Knik River Valley, a mere 45-minute drive north of Anchorage, where the Alaska Glacier Lodge would serve as our departure point into the vast, icy wilderness. Read the rest of this entry »

View over lush valley and hills and Rio Magdalena

Rudi Schreiner’s dream of sailing the Magdalena River has come to fruition with the launch of two new ships that will sail the river in Colombia in 2024.

The AmaMagdalena and AmaMelodia will join the two dozen ships already in the Ama fleet, sailing itineraries between Cartagena and Barranquilla. Read the rest of this entry »

A rejuvenated Carnival Elation departed its home port of Jacksonville this weekend, sporting a colorful facelift and other enhancements after its dry dock.

Elation now sports the red, white, and blue hull design that has been rolling out across the fleet since Mardi Gras debuted in 2021, as well as a redesigned Cloud 9 Spa, complete with new steam and sauna rooms. Read the rest of this entry »

The uproar following this winter’s flight cancellations has found its way onto the floor of the Senate, where two new bills promise restitution, free hotels and flights home on competitors’ airlines when things go wrong. And while they’re at it, they address airline fees as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Viking today announced it is canceling the December 5-17 Antarctic Explorer itinerary following an accident on its new Polaris expedition ship that left one passenger dead and three others injured. A giant rogue wave hit Polaris and smashed several windows, as the ship sailed south of Cape Horn, killing the passenger. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo Bennett Goldberg

Expedition cruise company Lindblad Expeditions officially named their next generation, all-suite National Geographic Islander II this week in the Galápagos Islands. Read the rest of this entry »

With interest in Arctic travel soaring, Hurtigruten has launched four new expedition itineraries on MS Maud for 2023.

The itineraries are:

Ring of Fire and Ice: Circumnavigation of Iceland. 11 days, prices starting at $7,589 per person. Sailing in July 2023 and July 2024, the Maud will circumnavigate Iceland, with nine stops, including Grimsey on the Arctic Circle, home to colonies of Atlantic puffins. Read the rest of this entry »

On October 4, Norwegian Cruise Line became one of the latest major cruise lines to roll back its requirement for passengers to present proof of a COVID-19 vaccination in order to sail. Read the rest of this entry »

Hidden in the Baztan Valley near the southwestern French border and a few miles away from the pristine shores of the Bay of Biscay, sits a little village with a big secret. Removed from the bustle of the Basque Country’s San Sebastian and the glitz of Biarritz, Zugarramurdi is a tranquil town where not too much has happened in the last four hundred years. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a new ship on a new itinerary, sailing with Avalon Waterways’ first onboard pool. And Pam Hoffee is excited about all three elements.

The new all-suite Avalon Alegria will join the fleet in 2024, sailing the line’s first-ever itineraries on the Douro River in Portugal. Read the rest of this entry »

Throughout 2022, Americans have experienced an unacceptable level of flight delays and cancellations. When these disruptions occur, airlines are required to support passengers based on commitments made in their customer service plans, Read the rest of this entry »

Just four months away from its scheduled inaugural cruise, MSC Seaside has successfully completed a four-day sea trial and is on schedule for its Manhattan debut in December. Read the rest of this entry »

What’s a cruise line to do when it has a few empty suites lying around? Like many others, Princess is trying out a new program that offers them to the highest bidder—and pays commission to travel advisors too. Read the rest of this entry »

In a move aimed at reducing the ongoing disruptions caused by the surge in post-pandemic travel and staff shortages, London’s Heathrow Airport has extended the cap on the number of daily passengers through late October to 100,000 passengers per day. Originally, the limit on the number of daily passengers was to be lifted on September 11th. The cap was originally imposed in July but it appears the “”summer of air travel chaos” is being extended into Fall. Read the rest of this entry »

The U.S. Department of State is permitting an initial test of online passport renewal for 25,000 individuals. The pilot program is part of a Biden administration effort to make travel and passport acquisition easier to accomplish. Read the rest of this entry »

An estimated 40,000 employees of Britain’s rail network went on strike today, in protest over pay and working conditions. Read the rest of this entry »

The U.S. Department of Transportation today released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of May 2022 for on-time performance, consumer complaints received, mishandled baggage, and mishandled wheelchairs and scooters. There was a 15% decline in complaints against airlines from April to May, however complaints are still 200 percent above pre-pandemic levels. Read the rest of this entry »

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday that all public transport on short and medium-distance trains will be operated free of charge to the public for the last four months of 2022. All commuter trains and mid-distance regional lines covering journeys of less than 300km run by Renfe, the national rail operator, will be free from September through the end of December. Read the rest of this entry »

In a move aimed at reducing the ongoing disruptions caused by the surge in post-pandemic travel and staff shortages, London’s Heathrow Airport has capped the number of daily passengers through September 11th to 100,000 passengers per day. Read the rest of this entry »

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) delivered a notice to domestic airlines indicating the airlines should adopt policies to allow families Read the rest of this entry »