Google pulling plug on Frommers

No more printed Frommer's guides--

Why Google is pulling the plug on Frommer's - Fortune Tech: " Spotting a tourist used to be easy. Just look for someone toting around a travel guide. Today, vacationers are organizing their trips entirely online. All they need to carry with them is a smartphone to occasionally look up tourist attractions and navigate around town. Travel guide publishers are in upheaval amid this new reality. Sales of guidebooks are down sharply as people instead turn to sites like TripAdvisor for hotel and restaurant reviews. The industry's decline was hammered home recently with two big developments. . . .word that Google (GOOG) planned to kill the print edition of Frommer's, the travel guide giant it acquired last year. Google declined to comment, although Skift, a travel news site, reported that Google's editors had already broken the news to authors of some upcoming titles. Frommer's has long been a Bible for globetrotters, and its extinction in print, at least, would be a big loss for the travel guide industry. Google could continue to publish digital books under the Frommer's name and keep Frommer's website alive, however. The second development, the BBC's sale of Lonely Planet, happened earlier this month. The British broadcaster disclosed plans to sell the guide-book publisher for $78 million, far less than the nearly $200 million it had originally paid. . . . " (read more at link above)

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Insider Guide - Best of Chicago

Good guide if you are going to visit the Windy City--

Insider Guide: Best of Chicago | CNN Travel: "Unlike New York and Los Angeles, luxury hotels in downtown Chicago are generally cheaper (if not cheap), which means that mid-range rooms are even more of a bargain. Built in 1926, the Ambassador East Hotel and its legendary Pump Room entertained the likes of Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland until it faded from the limelight. Then in 2010, hotel developer (and Studio 54 cofounder) Ian Schrager bought the building and poured $35 million into its renovation. . . ." (read more at link above)

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Caribbean Island Itineraries

4 Perfect Caribbean Island Itineraries | Travel News from Fodor's ...
No matter what type of traveler you are, there is a Caribbean island for you. Bringing the fam? Get that snorkel gear on. Looking to escape? No one will find you ...read more at www.fodors.com/news/best-caribbean-islands-trips-6577.html

More from Fodor's--

5 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do in The Caribbean

Five Reasons to Go to Turks and Caicos Now

7 Must-See Secluded Islands

5 Reasons to Go to Bermuda Now

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Royal Princess to Call Port Everglades Home

New Royal Princess to Call Port Everglades Home for Debut Caribbean Cruise ...
Broward Net Online (press release)
“We are honored that Princess Cruises has once again selected Port Everglades to homeport the line's newest and most sophisticated cruiseship, Royal Princess,” says Port Everglades Chief Executive & Port Director Steven Cernak. “Princess has a long, ...

Broward Net Online (press release)

Carnival cruise line in more troubled waters
CNN
In yet another setback for the cruise line, the Carnival Legend is having technical difficulties that are affecting its sailing speed. It's the latest in a growing list of woes for the travel company. Will Carnival keep its customers? The Legend was on ...

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London Travel Tips from a Travel Specialist (videos)

Travel Tips Video Tips from a Travel Specialist, England Edition Condé Nast Traveler In this week's edition of tips from our Top Travel Specialists Collection, we put England specialist Jane McCrum in the spotlight. McCrum's strength is her personal connections—primarily with members of the aristocracy who open up their personal homes ...

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Carnival Cruise Lines is planning more Nassau options

The cruise line has partnered with Carib Resorts, which is developing a site for shore excursions on a remote island. Carlos Torres de Navarra, Carnival’s vice president for commercial port operations, discussed the project Wednesday during a session at the Cruise Shipping Miami conference in Miami Beach. After disembarking at the port, passengers will be able to take a small boat to the island, called Balmoral. Torres de Navarra said the island will include elements of Bahamian history and serve as an alternative to shopping and Atlantis, Paradise Island options. . . . Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/13/3284360/carnival-cruise-lines-looking.html#emlnl=Business#storylink=cpy

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Carnival Triumph Episode and Cruise Sales

Has the Carnival Triumph Episode Hurt Cruise Sales? | TIME.com
Cruise industry insiders say that in the weeks after the Carnival Triumph debacle made news, cruise sales have remained strong, prices have remained steady, ...
business.time.com/.../has-the-carnival-triumph-episode-hurt-cr...

Royal Caribbean Vision norovirus: Cruise returns to Port Everglades ...
Royal Caribbean Vision norovirus: Cruise returns to Port Everglades after over 100 norovirus ...
www.wptv.com/.../royal-caribbean-vision-norovirus-cruise-ret...

Hotels stinging guests with extra fees
The Seattle Times
How do you know if hotels have gone too far with fees? When Jay Sorensen complains about them. Sorensen runs a Wisconsin consulting firm focused on helping travelcompanies generate money through surcharges and is a self-described “fee advocate.

Moments of Serendipitous Travel Bliss In Nicaragua
Gadling
His grandmother's name was Maria Auxiliadova Mairena. After chatting with them, I went back to sit with my family and realized that those kind of moments of serendipitous bliss, bordering on rapture, are why I love to travel. I knew I'd never forget ...

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Island Travel - Bahamas Out Islands

Amiable encounters on Out Islands - Travel Weekly: " . . . on a recent trip to two of the 700 islands in the archipelago that make up the Out Islands of the Bahamas. Actually, only 14 are inhabited: the Abacos, Acklins and Crooked Islands, Andros, the Berry Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Eleuthera, Harbour Island, the Exumas, Inagua, Long Island, Mayaguana and San Salvador. It's 25 minutes from the hubbub of Nassau to North Eleuthera Airport (there are flights from Miami and Fort Lauderdale) aboard a BahamasAir prop plane. . . . " more info at www.myoutislands.com.

Moments of Serendipitous Travel Bliss In Nicaragua | Gadling.com
By Dave Seminara
I was sitting on the Che Guevara ferry, which was bouncing over choppy waters in Lake Cocibolca on the way back from Ometepe island in.
Gadling

As You Travel, Making Money Work for You - NYTimes.com
The travel blogger known as Nomadic Matt offers tips on setting a daily travel budget, choosing the right credit cards and avoiding transaction fees abroad.
travel.nytimes.com/.../as-you-travel-making-money-work-for-...

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Cruise Shipping Miami - SXSW Of Cruise Travel

The SXSW Of Cruise Travel Starts Monday
Gadling
Considered by many as the SXSW of cruise travel, Cruise Shipping Miami is an annual mega-convention that starts Monday in Miami, Florida. On hand will be cruise line executives and travel experts participating in panel discussions during the four-day ...

How to get reservations in popular national park lodges
USA TODAY
Room availability in national park lodges is frequently in short supply, especially during the busy summer season. Overall, the number of rooms in America's national-park lodges has remained essentially unchanged for decades. An increasing number of ...

Travel World Shrugs Off Start of Sequestration | Fox Business
The sequester may ultimately cause travel delays at U.S. airports, but the first weekday after the government's March 1 sequestration deadline proved pretty ...
www.foxbusiness.com/.../travel-world-shrugs-off-start-sequest...

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Air Travel's Golden Age

Remember when air travel was fun?--

Golden Age of Air Travel
ABC News
Golden Age Of Air Travel. A flight crew serves food and beverages to passengers aboard an airplane during the 1960s. . . . (slides at link above)

ABC News

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Best new travel adventure for 2013

10 best new travel adventures for 2013
"Whether your particular brand of travel involves hiking, paddling, or sampling fine foods from another culture, this year's new crop of adventures is sure to get ...Wild and scenic Chetco River - This year, Oregon-based Northwest Rafting Company has secured the first commercial permit in a decade for rafting trips down southern Oregon's wild Chetco River. Not for the faint of heart, the Chetco is a Class IV river with "epic" rapids. But this trip is about more than an adrenaline rush: Think crystal-clear pools for swimming, scenic canyon hikes, and the absolute tranquility of a remote and virtually unvisited river. If you're serious about rafting, this new-for-2013 trip may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Offered By: Northwest Rafting Company When: June 2013 Length: 5 days Price: $1,495 . . . "
www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/.../1942441/

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Cruise Travel - Titanic II

Billionaire unveils new 'Titanic II' cruise ship design
Australian billionaire Clive Palmer unveiled design plans Tuesday for construction of Titanic II, a cruise ship designed as a 'full-scale recreation' of the Titanic.
www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2013/.../1948935/

How To Travel Alone On A Cruise? - Yahoo! Answers
Norwegian has a LIMITED number of cabins for one otherwise, you will pay anywhere from 150-200% of the listed price, less port fees and taxes, ...
answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid...

Cruise With Wendy to Learn Travel Secrets—and Maybe Win Free ...
Decadent deal: Join our Wendy Perrin on a luxurious yet affordable Panama Canalcruise and you could win a free iPad Mini, a $50 iTunes gift card, and $200 ...
www.cntraveler.com/perrin.../perrin-postcard-announcement

Travel insurance: Don't cruise without it? - Jennifer Waters's ...
How to find a travel insurance policy that will protect your health and pocketbook.
www.marketwatch.com/.../travel-insurance-dont-board-a-cruis...

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Grown-Up South Beach Hotels

New Grown-Up South Beach Hotels - Carry On | Travel + Leisure: " . . . the James Royal Palm (pictured; 1545 Collins Ave.; $$), which opened in November, it means a focus on the local and sustainable. Snapper at the restaurant, staff uniforms, even the plantain chips in the mini-bars are South Florida–sourced. Here, the wood is reclaimed and the beach huts solar-powered. . . . . the 393 rooms are large and bright, and nearly half are suites—a boon to families, who will also appreciate the kids’ club. A few blocks up, the Philippe Starck–designed SLS South Beach (1701 Collins Ave.; $$), is the new Miami sibling of the Beverly Hills original. (The company is also taking over the Raleigh.) The 140-room SLS is very much about drinking and spending and having boisterous dinners, but it isn’t juvenile. . . . "

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