Luxury is having a day, and Hilton is celebrating the travel advisors who sell that niche with a new, and better, preferred partner program.

Hilton on Tuesday launched Hilton for Luxury, an invitation-only program for travel advisors who sell the 100 properties in its luxury brands: Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Signia by Hilton, and Hilton’s newest luxury brand NoMad Hotels.

Members of the program will have their own dedicated concierge desk, improved connectivity through a private website, value-added benefits from the hotels and direct contact with on-property hotel team members. And each hotel will have a team of Hilton for Luxury ambassadors whose job is to ensure that program features and benefits are fulfilled.

Clients of participating travel advisors will receive a variety of benefits, including the best available rates, double Hilton Honors Points, complimentary breakfast for up to two guests, next-category upgrades and, wherever possible, early check-in or late check-out.

In addition, the program soon will offer rewards to participating travel advisors; details will be announced soon.

Good to know: Hilton Luxury Brands comprises 100 hotels and resorts around the world. Most recently, Hilton welcomed the NoMad Hotels brand into its portfolio.

For more information, visit www.hilton.com/hilton-for-luxury.

Tourism is booming and the Olympics are looming—but travel to Paris is on shaky ground once again. The air traffic controllers are calling for a strike at Orly next week and Ryanair has been forced to cancel 100 flights today due to a last-minute action at Paris Beauvais, where it operates flights from Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh and Belfast.

A Ryanair spokesperson said, “EU passengers are sick and tired of suffering unnecessary cancellations during ATC strikes. It is inexplicable that Ursula von der Leyen and the EU Commission have failed to take action to protect EU passengers’ Freedom of Movement during these repeated French ATC strikes.

A previous strike by French air traffic controllers saw almost 70% of flights canceled.

The threatened strike, called for  June 11-13, will affect more than just British travelers, though. It is expected to disrupt flights at Paris Orly and possibly Charles De Gaulle.

Oenophiles have two reasons to rejoice this week: May 25 is National Wine Day – and AmaWaterways is celebrating by rolling out a new French itinerary that includes visits to some of the country’s most distinguished wineries, plus the list of 70 hosted wine-themed departures that will make up its 2025 Celebration of Wine River Cruises portfolio.

The new Flavors of Burgundy will  be one of 21 itineraries in regions such as the Douro Valley in Portugal, the Wachau Valley in Austria and along the Moselle River in Germany. Sailing the Saône River between Lyon and Dijon, “France’s Culinary Capital,” on AmaCello and include wine tastings in Tournus, Mâcon and Lyon. Eight hosted itineraries will run in March, April, July, October and November of 2025.

Each hosted wine-themed cruise will include an expert – a vineyard owner, winemaker, certified sommelier or wine educator from North America or Europe – plus “enhanced epicurean experiences” and special wine-tasting events. North American Wine Hosts will bring their own wines on board to add a layer of diversity to the program.

“Delving into regional wine specialties throughout Europe enables our guests to gain a deeper appreciation for a country, its history, culture and people,” said AmaWaterways co-founder and executive vice president Kristin Karst.

AmaCello holds 140 passengers in 70 staterooms, most with a French balcony, and two single-occupancy staterooms that do not have single supplement fees. It launched in 2008.

Why rent an Airbnb or go glamping when you can stay in a private pod of your own at the all-inclusive Hyatt Dreams Resort on Curaçao?

When it opens on June 1, the new adults-only section at Dreams will debut a whole new look in hospitality, with 52 private home-sized modular units. Hyatt promises that the units will offer more privacy than a hotel room, and each will open directly onto the beach.

The fiberglass rooms will be on the smaller end of the property’s accommodations, in two sizes measuring either 377 square feet or 436 square feet, vs. the 350 to 715 square feet of the other rooms. But each will have a king bed, a dual vanity bathroom, and a furnished terrace. Guests will have exclusive access to a new infinity pool, bar, and Mediterranean restaurant being built in Il Mare, the new adults-only area.

Guests also will still have access to the rest of the Dreams resort, including three complimentary eateries, three à la carte restaurants, three pools, four bars, tennis and kayaks.

But Hyatt will charge a premium for its foray into modular construction; the cabins start at more than $600 a night.

The modular hotel cabin is not a totally unique idea, though Hyatt is the first major hotel brand to give it a try. New York-based Moliving plans to launch its own modular resort in the Catskill Mountains, about two hours from Manhattan, this summer.

Dreams, meanwhile, is one of three all-inclusive Hyatt brands on Curaçao. Located on Piscadera Bay, it is about 10 minutes from Zoëtry and 20 from Sunscape. There also are two all-inclusive Hiltons.

“We see the future and we think this is the right focus—and obviously, we want to secure the spots before our competition does,” Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. president and CEO Harry Sommer told investors on a call announcing the biggest ship order in its history this morning.

Betting big on the next decade of big-ship cruising, NCLH announced orders for eight new ships across its Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, plus the construction of a multi-ship pier at Great Stirrup Cay. The new build order will add nearly 25,000 berths and new classes of ships for each brand over the next decade. Beginning in 2026, NCL will add four Prima-Plus class ships, each holding about 5,000 guests; Oceania Cruises will add two Allura Class ships holding 1,450 guests, and  Regent Seven Seas Cruises will add two Explorer Class ships, each holding 850.

By 2036, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. plans to grow its fleet by more than 40%, from the current 32 ships, with approximately 66,500 berths, to 45 ships with more than 100,000 berths.

“This strategic new-ship order across all three of our award-winning brands provides for the steady introduction of cutting-edge vessels into our fleet and solidifies our long-term growth. It also allows us to significantly leverage our operating scale, strengthen our commitment to innovation, and enhance our ability to offer our guests new products and experiences, all while providing opportunities to enhance the efficiency of our fleet,” Sommer said.

NCLH is “super-passionate about delivering a great guest experience; it’s something we talk about a lot internally. We have lots of ships, we know what guests enjoy, and we are super-focused on delivering on those.” With Breakaway Plus and Prima, “we think we can take the best of both and create something that’s really world-class.”

These are not jumbo ships or incredible jumps in size, he noted, but NCL thinks they will make it possible to focus on costs, increase efficiency and “give our guests a great product that they will enjoy.”

About $150 million worth of work on the pier at Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas will allow for two ships to park simultaneously. It is scheduled to begin this summer and be completed by late 2025. The new pier will be constructed to accommodate two large vessels of the company’s current and future ship classes. Only a small piece of the island currently is being used, Sommer noted on the investor’s call this morning, and guest counts to the island are expected to grow over 50% in the first 12 months. In a typical 12 months about 400K guests so about 600K starting in 2026.

NCLH CFO Mark A. Kempa said the ships are expected to “secure our growth trajectory, significantly boost our earnings profile, and enhance shareholder value well into the future. With a favorable payment structure that includes pre-delivery financing and modest initial installment payments for these ship orders, we still anticipate a strong Net Leverage reduction of 1.5 turns by the end of 2024, relative to 2023, and expect the Company to continue reducing Net Leverage each year for the foreseeable future.”

“We really want to build something special and there’s a tremendous advantage to designing things so many years ahead. We’re not going to settle; this product will be truly extraordinary, and we are going to take the time to deliver it right,” Sommer said.

Amidst the hullabaloo over its use of Boeing jets, United Airlines this week is rolling out two programs that reach out to its customers.

If you are the kind of flyer who checks every day to see if a better seat is available for your upcoming flight, you’re going to love the first one: United’s app as of March 22 will do the work for you. On selected flights, when you book a seat, a pop-up will ask if you’d like them to keep searching for a better one—perhaps on the aisle or in an exit row—and if so, will notify you if one becomes available.

For now, the program is being tested on particularly full flights in which only a few middle and back-of-plane seats are available. But if it proves successful, United hopes to roll it out across most of the fleet.

There are apps available that will do something similar, but United is the first airline to offer it to customers.

And all those currently booked in middle seats are cheering them on.

Also new is a change to the MileagePlus frequent flyer program that allows groups of up to five people to share miles.

MileagePlus members age 18 or older can invite up to four other members of any age to contribute miles into a pool that can be used to purchase tickets. There is no limit to how many miles can be contributed to the pool.

“We’re always looking for new ways to provide the most value to all of our loyalty members,” said MileagePlus chief operating officer Luc Bondar. “MileagePlus miles pooling further reinforces United’s position as the leader in family and group travel and gives our members more flexibility to use their miles, while making it easier to connect to the destinations and moments that matter most, with the people that matter most.”

American Cruise Lines will be sailing its American Revolution 11-day itineraries round-trip out of Washington DC in 2024.

The only cruise ship that sails the Potomac into Washington, American Constitution will depart from The Wharf and sail the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac and the York River, with calls in the historic ports of Yorktown, Williamsburg, Jamestown, Mount Vernon, Annapolis and Norfolk.

It’s a particularly interesting offer for the drive-to cruise market, “allowing many guests to skip flights and jump on board hassle- free,” noted American’s Director of Business Development Melissa Young

Cruises on the American Revolution itinerary will run in the spring and fall 2024, beginning March 26 and including Cherry Blossom season. They all include entertainment and enrichment, as well as regionally inspired cuisine featuring Maryland’s famous Blue Crabs. Excursions in Washington include guided tours of the Capitol and the Smithsonian museums, as well as Arlington National Cemetery, the Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad exhibit, Colonial Williamsburg, the Jamestown Settlement, and Virginia Beach, and an authentic sailing on “Skipjack” through the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.

Wave season specials include savings up to $1,500 plus complimentary airfare on select Spring dates. There is also an option to add a pre-cruise hotel stay at the Four Seasons, D.C.

The largest small ship and river cruise operator in the United States, American Cruise Lines will sail 19 ships in 35 states, with more than 50 domestic itineraries.

Celebrity Cruises is taking extraordinary steps to keep its Galapagos customers safe. Silversea is canceling a cruise in the Red Sea. From South America to the Middle East, political unrest continued to keep the cruise industry—and the travel advisors who sell its products—on their toes last week.

Celebrity, last week, issued an advisory asking guests booked on Galapagos cruises on Celebrity Flora, Celebrity Xploration and Celebrity Xpedition to not arrive in the country until the day before their sailing.

c, the pre-departure arrival point for many guests, is considered its most dangerous, as its ports have become a hub for drug smuggling. Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa has declared a state of “internal armed conflict” and imposed a nationwide state of emergency and nighttime curfew after a wave of gang violence in which armed men interrupted a live TV broadcast and took more than 100 prison staff hostage.

Lindblad Expeditions has cancelled two cruises in the region that were scheduled to sail on January 12 and 13, National Geographic Endeavour II and Islander II “out of an abundance of caution,” and noting a “lack of clarity” regarding air travel. Celebrity Cruises is taking extraordinary steps to keep its customers safe. Silversea canceled a call in Manta, Ecuador, on Silver Nova, which is sailing a 71-day roundtrip sailing around South America, and Azamara canceled a stop as well. Intrepid and G Adventures posted travel alerts on their websites informing travelers of the 60-day state of emergency and noted they are monitoring the situation carefully.

Celebrity issued an advisory asking guests booked on Celebrity Flora, Celebrity Xploration and Celebrity Xpedition to not arrive in the country until the day before their sailing.

In a letter sent January 10, Celebrity stressed that cruises are not cancelled But, guests who feel uncomfortable can cancel their bookings with a full refund and have the opportunity for price protection on future voyages when they book a new cruise before 2025. Celebrity Cruises also will reimburse guests for any fees they incur for changing their inbound flights.

Guests who are sailing on the three ships will be housed at the new Holiday Inn, in a secure area near the airport, and are asked not to leave the hotel. Celebrity staffers will escort guests as they transfer to the hotel and on to their flights to Baltra.

All pre- and post-cruise excursions in Ecuador have been suspended.

“Any Celebrity pre- or post-cruise packages in Ecuador will be cancelled and refunded, as these will no longer take place. For independently purchased pre- or post-cruise purchases, we recommend you cancel these, and we will review refund requests,” Celebrity Cruises said in the letter.

Celebrity says it is closely monitoring the situation and may still cancel cruises if the situation deteriorates.

Mariscal Sucre Quito International Airport in Quito and José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil remain fully operational, but American Airlines, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines and United Airlines all have canceled some flights, and American, Delta, LATAM and United have issued waivers for travel to the country.

In the Middle East, meanwhile, trouble in the Red Sea and Yemen has more cruise ships scrambling to find alternative routes.

After making changes to the itinerary of the last sailing, Silversea last week canceled Silver Moon’s January 16-26 sailing of the Silver Moon Muscat-Dubai itinerary and is “in the process of informing affected guests and their travel agents of the reprotection options. Our global security team continues to closely monitor the situation in the region and will make any additional changes if required,” a spokesperson told TRO.

The cruise was scheduled to visit several destinations in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrein, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Affected passengers will receive different compensations, including refund of the fate of the cancelled cruise portion, and Future Cruise Credits (FCCs).

But the January 26-February 11 sailing remains scheduled, as are future voyages.

MSC Cruises, meanwhile, has rerouted MSC Poesia’s 115-day world cruise, which now will circumnavigate Africa instead of passing through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.

Travelers knew Wednesday was going to be a mess at the airport—but they didn’t plan on the extra stress of pro-Palestine protesters blocking the access roads as well.

More than 60 protesters were arrested after two separate demonstrations closed roads leading to JFK and LAX airports, backing up traffic and forcing some travelers to get out of their Ubers and walk to the terminals.

No flights were delayed at either airport.

In New York, Port Authority Police officers arrested about 25 demonstrators who blocked traffic on the Van Wyck Expressway near the Terminal 4 exit for about 20 minutes at 11 am, and about 35 protesters who tried to block Century Boulevard near LAX with traffic cones, trash bins, scooters and debris, at about 9:30.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey dispatched two buses offering rides to travelers involved in the backup to allow them to reach the airport safely.

A few days earlier, a multi-car caravan blocked roads to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Police Department accused protesters of throwing a police officer to the ground and “attacking uninvolved passerbys in their vehicles,” without providing further details about either incident. Traffic was impacted for about two hours.

Since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, protests have broken out in cities across the United States. In New York, pro-Palestinian organizers protested events, including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the annual tree-lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center.

At a news conference on Tuesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “I don’t believe that people should be able to just take over our streets and march in our streets. I don’t believe people should be able to take over our bridges. I just don’t believe you can run a city this complex where people can just do whatever they want.”

Alaska Air Group Inc. on Sunday announced a plan to acquire Hawaiian Holdings Inc. Alaska’s $1.9 billion offer is almost four times the current price of Hawaiian shares, which have been pummeled this year by the Maui wildfires, high fuel costs and engine recall issues on some of its Airbus SE planes.

In a joint announcement, the airlines said the merger will allow them to compete effectively, expand destinations and entrench the newly combined carrier on the West Coast. The newly combined company will have a 25% share of the US domestic market. Alaska Air will remain the fifth-largest carrier in the United States, behind Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines — all of which grew to their current size with the help of mergers. Alaska Air will have 365 aircraft, 31,200 employees and 54.7 million annual passengers; it will be based in Seattle, and Honolulu will become an Alaska Airlines hub, where pilot, flight attendant and maintenance bases will remain.

Should the agreement be approved by antitrust regulators, the combined airline will be part of the Oneworld airline alliance, which Alaska joined in 2021. It will serve 138 destinations, including 29 international markets.

During a Sunday conference call with investors, Alaska emphasized Hawaiian’s long history of profitability. The carriers said the deal will offer travelers more opportunities to fly to and from Hawaii; now, Hawaiian mainly connects the state to major airports in the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, while Alaska flies throughout the United States, and to Mexico and Central America. Insiders noted that the combination of Alaska and Hawaiian will give the new company control of the Hawaiian market, one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. Over the past year, Hawaiian sold about 22% of all flights to Hawaii, more than any other airline; that number would climb to 38%, more than double that of the next competitor, United Airlines.

United, the fourth-largest carrier, controls about 16 percent of the market, according to federal data. Alaska controls about 6.4 percent of the market today, a share that would grow to 8.2 percent after its acquisition. JetBlue controls about 5.5 percent of the market today, but that would nearly double in size if it is successful in completing its purchase of Spirit.

Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said consumers will continue to see both brands, but work groups from the two airlines will be combined under a single collective bargaining agreement.

The merger still must get past the Department of Justice (DOJ), which has successfully challenged partnerships between JetBlue and American Airlines and JetBlue and Spirit, citing antitrust concerns. But Minicucci said less than 3% of the network routes of the two airlines overlap.

With more than 15 million people expected to descend on Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games, tickets—and hotel rooms—will be tighter than ever. To help travel advisors put together amazing packages, luxury villa company Rental Escapes is offering up packages that include beautiful private accommodations and tickets to the games.

The Rental Escapes collection in France includes:

Pompidou, a 19th-century building built by Gustav Eiffel that has been transformed into a loft with two lounge areas, four bedrooms and a kitchen with a mobile island.

St Didier, a two-bedroom duplex apartment with views of the Eiffel Tower, a library and a luxurious living room with lots of natural light in the 16th district.

Villa BB, in an exclusive residential area of Saint Tropez, a new five-bedroom villa with a private terrace and balconies that accommodates up to 10.

Bastide Des Chenes in Provence, a 17-acre farm with a main house and an attached farmhouse.

Fleurs De Provence in Avignon, a private estate with fruit trees, fountains and streams that can accommodate up to 24 people, with a heated swimming pool, a well-equipped gym and fitness room, a tennis court and plenty of outdoor seating.

Rental Escapes’ concierge service can help arrange a private chef or massage, exclusive tours or special amenities. And for the Olympics, they can provide tickets and transportation, as well as unique experiences like sitting with an expert or an athlete.

As always, Rental Escapes will pay a 10% commission and one reward point for every $1 travel advisors book. And under a Thanksgiving promotion announced this week, advisors who book a client in November for travel before 12/31/2024 will earn a bonus commission via Amazon gift cards valued at up to $5,000.

“Attending the Olympics is a bucket list, once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the dedicated support Rental Escapes provides will ensure a vacation surpassing those in dreams,” said CEO Brian Schwimmer, co-founder of the Montreal-based company. But, he cautioned, “we encourage travelers to plan well in advance and begin booking now.”

Surely Delta expected some push-back from customers when it announced changes to its loyalty program last month. But the carrier this week said it has listened to the disappointment its frequent flyers expressed—and is cutting back on the cut-backs.

“Over the past few weeks, many of you have shared feedback about the changes we announced to Delta’s SkyMiles Program,” the email from CEO Ed Bastion said. “What’s been most clear to me is how much you love Delta and the disappointment many of you felt by the significance of the changes. Your voice matters, and we are listening.”

In response, Delta has lowered the Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD, or dollars spent) requirements at each tier of the program. Here’s how they compare with the previous announcement:

• Silver Medallion Status: from $6,000 to $5,000 MQDs
• Gold Medallion Status: from $12,000 to $10,000 MQDs
• Platinum Medallion Status: from $18,000 to $15,000 MQDs
• Diamond Medallion Status: from $35,000 to $28,000 MQDs.

In addition, Platinum, Platinum Business, Reserve and Reserve Business American Express Card Members will now receive a head start of 2,500 MQDs per card.

Perhaps the most contentious part of the changes involved access to Delta Sky Lounges, to which many Delta SkyMiles® and American Express credit card holders until now have had unlimited access. To cut down the growing crowds there, Delta had earlier cut the number of visits per cardholder. But now the following rules will apply:

• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve and Reserve Business Card Members will now receive 15 days of Delta Sky Club access per year, up from 10 announced last month.
• Delta Platinum Card® and American Express Business Platinum Card will receive 10 days of Delta Sky Club access per year, up from 6.
• Each “Delta Sky Club visit” includes entries within a 24-hour period, including the departure city, connecting airports and arrival destination. A same-day round trip would count as one visit.
• Holders of Delta SkyMiles® Reserve, Reserve Business, or Platinum Cards from American Express also will be able to purchase club access for $50 per visit.
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve, Reserve Business, Platinum Card, and Business Platinum American Express Card holders will earn unlimited Delta Sky Club Access after spending $75,000 on an eligible card in a calendar year. Unlimited access would continue for the remainder of the current Medallion Year as well as the following Medallion Year. Card spend tracking begins on January 1, 2024 for the 2025 Medallion Year.
• Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access under the current policy is available until February 1, 2025.

Delta also announced improvements to its Choice Benefits program, where Platinum and Diamond Medallion members now will be able to select various perks, such as SkyClub membership or bonus miles, and to choose an MQD Accelerator for the following qualification year.

Perhaps the most significant improvement involves Delta customers who have been saving up MQMs. Beginning in 2024, they can redeem 100,000 MQMs to maintain their level of status. If you have 500,000 miles that you earned and rolled over for the past few years, for example, you can use them to keep your status for the next five years, regardless of the other changes.

“I know the modifications we have made won’t solve for every disappointment,” Bastian wrote. “Our goal is to do our best to ensure we deliver the service and benefits your loyalty deserves.”

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has rejected an unsolicited $8 billion buyout by bid Choice Hotels International, Inc., saying it is not in the best interests of Wyndham shareholders.

Noting that it is the world’s largest hotel franchising company, with 9,100 hotels in more than 95 countries, Wyndham called the proposal “involves significant business and execution risks, including an extended regulatory timeline and uncertainty of outcome, potential franchisee churn, and excessive leverage levels at the pro forma combined company.”

It would take more than a year to determine if the merger of the two companies could clear antitrust review, Wyndham said in a statement to shareholders, that likely would cause franchisee churn. The statement also noted “our deep concerns about the value of their stock,” which would make up 45% of the purchase.

“Choice’s offer is insufficient relative to Wyndham’s recent trading levels, significant growth momentum and premiums paid in a precedent change of control transactions,” Wyndham said, noting its rapidly growing pipeline, which is up 20% over the past two years.

Wyndham operates Days Inn, La Quinta, Ramada and other hotel brands. Its newest brand, ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham, signed 265 contracts since its launch in March 2022. Choice Hotels, meanwhile, last year acquired Radisson Hotels; it now operates about 7,500 hotels in 46 countries.

The two companies have been talking merger for six months, and the deal is not done yet.

“A few weeks ago, Choice and Wyndham were in a negotiable range on price and consideration, and both parties have a shared recognition of the value opportunity this potential transaction represents,” Choice CEO Patrick Pacious said in a statement. “We were therefore surprised and disappointed that Wyndham decided to disengage. While we would have preferred to continue discussions with Wyndham in private, following their unwillingness to proceed, we feel there is too much value for both companies’ franchisees, shareholders, associates, and guests to not continue pursuing this transaction.”

Barcelona has banned all passenger ships from its central port effective October 22, sending them instead to terminals farther from the popular La Rambla district.

The new regulation, designed to control cruise ship emissions, will send smaller ships from AIDA Cruises, Azamara, Oceania, Regent and Virgin to the Moll Adossat Pier, where large ships dock. Passengers then will have to take a 30-minute shuttle ride.

Barcelona also has cut the number of cruise ships that can visit its ports at one time, from 10 to 7.

The move follows protests against tourism by Barcelona residents over the past six years.

“The closure of the Barcelona northern docks for cruise operations is a new step to comply with the agreement signed in 2018 with the Barcelona municipal government to eliminate the negative impact that this activity could produce for citizens,” said Lluís Salvado, president of the Port of Barcelona.

While many cities have been looking to cut the number of ships arriving on their shores, business owners in Palma, Majorca, this month called on the government to scrap the cruise ship limits set there. They cited an 18% fall in passengers since legislation limited cruise ships to three a day.

“Don’t demonize cruise ship passengers, it is family tourism with a high spending power,” eight local business organizations, including bar and restaurant owners, shopkeepers and tour guides, said in a statement.

Good news for last-minute travelers: Things are looking up in the nation’s passport offices, as an influx of staffers and new technology has cut processing time for passport applications by two weeks, to as little as 35 days.

In a record-breaking fiscal year from October 2022 to September 2023, the department issued 24 million passport books and cards, more than at any time in the nation’s history. Now it promises that passport applications filed after October 2 will be processed in 8-11 weeks, or 5-7 weeks if you pay for expedited service, not including time in the mail.

Staffing is up 10% and there are “hundreds of additional staff in the hiring pipeline,” the US State Department reports in a press release (Department of State Reduces Processing Times, Breaks Records for Passport Issuances – United States Department of State). “We remain focused on lowering processing times, and this reduction is an important first step.”

Still, the department said, “we encourage anyone considering future international travel to check their passport’s validity early and often. Apply well in advance of your potential travel and at least 6-9 months ahead of your passport’s expiration date. Check your passport’s expiration date today and visit travel.state.gov to plan your 2024 travel with the latest passport guidance and travel information.”

And of course, call your travel advisor!

Orlando visitors will have a new transportation option starting this week, as the highly awaited Brightline train finally begins service from Miami Airport and other points in south Florida.

Beginning on Friday, the bright-yellow trains will carry passengers from Central Miami to Terminal C in Orlando International Airport in just over three hours, at speeds up to 130 mph. There will be 16 round trips per day, with hourly departures. Passengers also will able to connect to West Palm Beach, Aventura, Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale.

Tickets from Miami to Orlando range in price from $79 for Smart service to $270 for Premium service. They can be bought at Brightline stations or at gobrightline.com. Discounts are available for children through the age of 12, students, and groups of four or more.

Citing “incredible enthusiasm” for the service, Brightline president Patrick Goddard encouraged holiday season visitors to “check calendars, make plans, visit our website or app and reserve a seat now.”

Meanwhile, Brightline Holdings CEO Mike Reininger said the railroad is looking at Tampa as a potential destination, and the company already has bought land in Cocoa, near Port Canaveral.

Just ahead of opening sales for the 2024 season, Walt Disney World announced a handful of sure-to-be-popular changes that seem designed to turn things back to the way they used to be.

Leading the list is the return of Disney Dining and Disney Quick Service Dining Plans, which again will be available on Disney World packages that include a Disney Resort hotel stay, beginning January 9, 2024. The plans include more than 100 dining venues across the park.

Also beginning January 9, guests will no longer be required to have theme park reservations in order to buy date-based tickets at Walt Disney World, and annual passholders and cast members will be offered occasional “good-to-go days” when they can visit the parks without a reservation.

Disney also said that early park entry (for all Disney Resort hotel guests) and extended evening hours (for guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels and Disney Deluxe Villas) will continue through 2024, and that it is working on ways to help guests plan Disney Genie+ service and Lightning Lane selections in advance of their visits, rather than only on the same day.

Tickets for the 2024 season at Walt Disney World will go on sale May 31, and Disney then will also release complete details on the new dining plans, it said. But the company did say the plans will allow guests to make dining reservations up to 60 days in advance of their trip.

Insiders attribute the renewed focus on the guests experience to the return of Bob Iger, who six months ago canceled his retirement and returned to Disney as CEO. Since then Walt Disney World has stopped charging for overnight self-parking, allowed annual passholders to visit after 2 p.m. without a reservation, offered free digital downloads of photos on rides for guests using Disney’s Genie+, ramped up character meet-and-greets, added new characters, and restored annual passes.

Viking’s newest ship, the Viking Aton, “floated out” this week, headed for her debut in Egypt in August, with pre- and post-trips to Jerusalem and Jordan.

As the third Viking ship custom-built to sail the Nile, Aton marks the halfway point to the six-ship fleet the company envisions on the longest river in the world, which flows north out of Africa into the Mediterranean Sea.

Like her identical sister ship Viking Osiris, Viking Aton holds 82 guests and 65 crew and will sail a 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.

“We are proud to be the only western company to build, own and operate ships on the Nile, and with the float out of the Viking Aton, we look forward to welcoming more guests to experience this fantastic region,” said Viking chairman Torstein Hagen.

Viking reports “very strong demand in Egypt,” with the 2023 season and many 2024 dates already sold out. In all, the line plans to have six ships sailing the Nile by 2025, including Viking Ra, which launched in 2018, and two more shifts under construction now, Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek.

In addition to the 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary, guests can sign up for a five-day British Collections of Ancient Egypt extension beginning in London, which includes private visits to the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum; the home of Sir John Soane, whose collection of Egyptian antiquities includes a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus; and Highclere Castle, to view the Earl’s private collection of Egyptian artifacts. There’s also a Pre Extension in Jerusalem and a Post Extension in Jordan that includes Jerash, Kerak, and the lost city of Petra.

Separately, Egypt’s ministry of tourism and antiquities this week announced the discovery of the ancient underground tomb complex of Panehsy, steward of the temple of Amun under Ramses II, around 1250 BC.

“Egypt is one of the most difficult areas in the world to book. There are many local companies who offer Nile cruises, but it’s very difficult to know who the trustworthy ones are,” said travel advisor Lainey Melnick. “Having the big name cruise lines stepping into that market makes it so much more accessible to Americans who are willing to pay that premium price for something they trust and understand. It makes all the difference in that region.”

On Friday, September 16th, the US State Department began the test run of their online passport renewal program. Almost 24 hours later, the program met its monthly quota of 25,000 participants and shut down temporarily. Stated in a post on their website, “We are temporarily closing down the online renewal service to new customers and plan to reopen it again in October.”

The news was announced by Josh D’Amaro, Disney Parks chair, at Disney’s D23 Expo that their cruise line division would be unveiling a new ship, Disney Treasure. This new ship will be styled like the setting of the Disney movie Aladdin, including a statue of Aladdin and Jasmine riding the magic carpet character and an opulent interior similar to the grand palace of Agrobah (also featured in Aladdin).

The New York City-based destination management company Beyond Times Square has added a new experience to their 2022 luxury catalog, VIP Radio City Roxy Suite Reception & Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes.