Island or Beach Tweets

Tweets about "island OR beach"

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Bag2Go Luggage Has GPS In Case Your Airline Loses It

Bag2Go Luggage Has GPS In Case Your Airline Loses It [VIDEO]: "Misplaced luggage is one of the most headache-inducing problems that can befall a weary traveler. Thanks to Airbus, however, tracking down your lost suitcases is about to get a whole lot easier. European aircraft manufacturer Airbus recently unvealed the "Bag2Go," a so-called "smart bag" complete with GPS, RFID and 2G mobile data capabilities. The Bag2Go can even sync up with your iPhone, letting you track your bag's progress as it's loaded onto your flight."

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Popular sailing ships to cruise in tandem

Real Sailing is fun!

 Popular sailing ships to cruise in tandem: "Sea Cloud Cruises is offering something unusual for sailing fans this fall as its two sailing ships travel in tandem for several days. The Hamburg-based line says the 65-passenger Sea Cloud and 94-passenger Sea Cloud II will sail together around the Canary Islands starting on Nov. 20 in a meet-up "designed so that sails and sailing are at the forefront." The two vessels will meet in Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands and sail together from Tenerife to La Gomera and El Hierro. Passengers on each of the ships will have the chance to tour the other vessel during an "open house" party planned for Nov. 21 in Tenerife."

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Book Travel Online for Less

How to Book Travel Online for Less: "With clear skies and rising temperatures around the country, the summer travel season is nearly upon us. And unless you've got money to burn or a first-born to offer, now's the time to book your travel plans. Here's how to get away without breaking the bank. Timing Is Everything . . . "(read  more at link above)

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Airlines push new booking platform, old IT firms wary

Airlines push new booking platform, IT firms wary | Reuters: "Members of IATA, the world airline industry organization, met in Cape Town this week, viewed a demonstration of the new standard and passed a resolution approving it. "Airlines offer a rich customer-centric shopping experience on their own websites and we want travel agents to have similar capabilities," said Eric Leopold, a senior IATA official. But not everyone was happy. Some travel information technology companies, such as Sabre Holdings and Travelport, make their money from contracts linking airlines and agents via global distribution systems heavily reliant on the old technology. They may stand to lose business if the NDC standard, which bypasses those older systems, eventually prevails"

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US to close its Cuban prison?

A group of retired admirals and generals who have advocated the closure of the Guantanamo prison met with National Security Council officials Tuesday to discuss the administration’s plans to shut the facility. The group included many of the retired officers who stood behind President Barack Obama on January 9, 2009, when he signed the executive order to close Guantanamo. The group met with Avril Haines, the legal adviser to the National Security Council, and other members of the White House staff. Retired Rear Adm. John Hutson, a former top Navy lawyer and a member of the Human Rights First board of directors, said the retired officers urged the officials to be more aggressive with efforts to close the prison than they were in the first term. “I said every day Guantanamo is open is another day of stain on American reputation and undermining our security. And a day closer to the end of the Obama administration,” he recounted. “We’ve got to move.” Adm. Hutson will appear Wednesday at a panel discussion organized by Human Rights First at the Navy Memorial Museum to examine the steps the administration should take make good on Mr. Obama’s pledge last month to make a renewed effort to close the prison. (source: wsj.com)

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Cuba, Alan Gross, Politics

Washington engaged in a negotiation with Havana to try to free U.S. Agency for International Development contractor Alan Gross from a Cuban jail?

Cuba Admits Gross is a Pawn - Wall Street Journal - WSJ.com: " . . . In other words, Mr. Gross is a negotiating chip. Ms. Vidal would not say what Cuba wants in exchange for letting him go, but the release of several Cuban intelligence officers convicted in 2001 of spying on the U.S. is likely on the list. Not surprisingly, the three Cuban-American congressmen object to negotiating with the dictatorship and are asking, “What was the purpose and intent” of Ms. Vidal’s trip and “what issues were discussed during her meeting with Ms. Jackson?” In addition, they have asked for an “update” on Mr. Gross’s case, which began in December 2009 when he was arrested by Cuban authorities for having brought satellite telecommunications equipment into the country. The 64 year-old is now serving a 15-year sentence in Havana for his “crime.” For the record, Ms. Vidal also told CNN viewers that Cuba has free elections, political competition and free speech."

free elections, political competition, free speech???

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Turkey by gulet sailing

Turkey by gulet: sailing in the company of the ancients - Telegraph: " . . .Travel brochures are seldom gospel, but when they are they blaze like torches. How’s this for conveying the spirit of a holiday in just a couple of lines? “Day six: We head north to the tiny island of Sikinos. We will endeavour to collar the only transport on the island to visit Episcopi, one of the best preserved Roman monuments in the Aegean… overnight in the harbour or nearby.” . . ."

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Canadian businessman goes on trial in Cuba

Cuba no place for business--

Canadian businessman goes on trial in Cuban corruption crackdown - Yahoo! News: " . . . The arrests . . . sent shockwaves through Cuba's small foreign business community where the companies involved were among the most visible players. Cuba's state-run media, however, has not yet reported the Yacoubian trial, nor mentioned the arrests and crackdown on foreign trade. . . . In October 2011, police also closed the Havana offices of the British investment and trading firm Coral Capital Group Ltd and arrested chief executive Amado Fakhre, a Lebanese-born British citizen. Two months later police raided the offices of the powerful military-run Tecnotex trading company, taking its Cuban chief executive Fernando Noy away in handcuffs. Coral Capital's chief operating officer, Stephen Purvis, was arrested in March 2012. Purvis is a British citizen. A number of other foreigners and Cubans who worked for the companies remain free but cannot leave the island because they are considered witnesses in the cases.. . ."

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Cuba slowly opening?

Cuba needs tourists, including golfers--

"The $350m Carbonera Club, to be developed by Esencia, a British firm, is the first project to get the go-ahead; another course is expected to be complete by the end of the year. A 1,300-berth marina, the largest in the Caribbean, is to be built in Varadero. And the island's airports are to be upgraded, with help from Brazil's development bank . . . Cuba's politics remain as opaque as ever, but it looks as if the island is gradually opening for business." (read more at the source: economist.com)

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Cruises get new ships, overhauls

Cruises get good buzz from new ships, overhauls
Tbo.com
The 2013 cruise season began with a nightmare: A Carnival ship adrift with no power. But in the last month or so, several cruise companies — including Carnival — have announced major overhauls to old ships and exciting innovations on new ships, from ...

'Mariner of the Seas' cruises along Indian shores
Hindu Business Line
En route from Dubai, the 138,000-tonne ship with 15 decks, part of the Royal Caribbean International cruise liner, was welcomed by Goan cultural troupe while it docked at the port here on Friday. Deputy Director of Goa Tourism Department, Pamela Maria ...

Hindu Business Line

The legal risk of cruise-ship crime in other countries
Herald Sun
More than half of the world's cruise ships are registered in Panama, Liberia and the Bahamas, and Mr O'Connell said that passengers could have their case heard in countries with a poor human rights records and a history of ignoring crimes against women.

A passage to the India of my youth: Echoes of the Raj on a cruise into a...
Daily Mail
Voyages to Antiquity (0845 437 9737, www.voyagestoantiquity.com) offers a range of cruises in the Mediterranean, Red Sea and Black Sea this summer. A 13-day cruise on Aegean Odyssey costs from £1,995 per person, including return flights, full board ...

Daily Mail

New Star is born in ocean cruising
The Province
Viking River Cruises ( vikingrivercruises.com) has taken the river cruise industry by storm as of late, launching 10 of its new Viking Longships in March alone. Now, the company is prepared to conquer a new frontier - ocean cruising. Rebranded as ...

Lakeland Man Declares Full Steam Ahead After 105 Cruises
The Ledger
"From the first cruise I took in 1960, I never dreamed I would see the type of ships they have today, which are literally like floating hotels," he said. Though today's mammoth vessels, outfitted with sophisticated stabilization systems, are not prone ...

Viking Ocean – a new cruise experience | Fox News
Viking River's first sea-going vessels will redefine the concept of cruising.
www.foxnews.com/.../viking-ocean-new-cruise-experience/

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Think beyond airfare for summer travel

Summer travel? Think beyond airfare | Business & Technology | The ...
If you want to drill down for recent data about such factors as on-time rates, lost baggage and consumer complaints among U.S. carriers, see the U.S. Department of Transportation's Air Travel Consumer Report at http://tinyurl.com/dot-air.
The Seattle Times

I'm The Sucker Who Still Likes Travel Brochures | Gadling.com
By Dave Seminara
I'm a sucker for brochures. It makes no sense to plan one's vacation itinerary, even in part, based on what you see in the flyers.
Gadling

Ballooning over Cappadocia | Rick Steves European Travel Blog
By Rick Steves
Ballooning over Cappadocia. I've never been big on ballooning. It's expensive, you need to get up really early, and I'm a little bit afraid of the whole thing. Ballooning is popular in France's Loire Valley and in Egypt's Luxor on the Nile, but it's ...
Rick Steves Travel Blog: Blog...

Travel Luminaries Converge at GBTA Convention 2013 | News ...
By Breaking Travel News
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the voice of the global business travelindustry, today announced the speakers for the 'Luminaries of Travel CEO Panel' to be held on Tuesday, August 6, 2013, during the GBTA Convention ...

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International Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights

CRUISE INDUSTRY ADOPTS PASSENGER BILL OF RIGHTS | Cruise Lines International Association: "Washington, DC — May 22, 2013 — Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) today announced that its Board of Directors approved the adoption of a “Cruise Industry Passenger Bill of Rights” detailing CLIA members’ commitment to the safety, comfort and care of guests in a number of important areas.

Following is the full text of the Passenger Bill of Rights, as adopted by CLIA’s members unanimously.

INTERNATIONAL CRUISE LINE PASSENGER BILL OF RIGHTS

The Members of the Cruise Lines International Association are dedicated to the comfort and care of all passengers on oceangoing cruises throughout the world. To fulfill this commitment, our Members have agreed to adopt the following set of passenger rights:

1. The right to disembark a docked ship if essential provisions such as food, water, restroom facilities and access to medical care cannot adequately be provided onboard, subject only to the Master’s concern for passenger safety and security and customs and immigration requirements of the port.
2. The right to a full refund for a trip that is canceled due to mechanical failures, or a partial refund for voyages that are terminated early due to those failures.
3. The right to have available on board ships operating beyond rivers or coastal waters full-time, professional emergency medical attention, as needed until shore side medical care becomes available.
4. The right to timely information updates as to any adjustments in the itinerary of the ship in the event of a mechanical failure or emergency, as well as timely updates of the status of efforts to address mechanical failures.
5. The right to a ship crew that is properly trained in emergency and evacuation procedures.
6. The right to an emergency power source in the case of a main generator failure.
7. The right to transportation to the ship’s scheduled port of disembarkation or the passenger’s home city in the event a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures.
8. The right to lodging if disembarkation and an overnight stay in an unscheduled port are required when a cruise is terminated early due to mechanical failures.
9. The right to have included on each cruise line’s website a toll-free phone line that can be used for questions or information concerning any aspect of shipboard operations.
10. The right to have this Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights published on each line’s website."

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Best Travel Booking Tip

Call before booking online--

5 budget travel tips you don't know- MSN Money: ""It's a myth that all the available inventory is available on the Internet," says Peter Greenberg, travel editor at CBS News. "We go online because it's easy, but we do so at our own peril if we're looking for a deal.""

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Luxury Island Musha Cay video

AskMen counts down the top 10 luxury islands on the planet, our choice for number 1 is David Copperfield's private islands Musha Cay.

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Tips for Saving Money on Cruises

Spending wisely - The Banner: " . . . . 4. LOOK FOR REPOSITIONING CRUISES Cruise lines move their ships from their rotation in one region to another every few months, usually as the high season in one region cools off and before the next destination heats up. For example, a ship will shift from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean for the winter, or vice versa. Or from the Caribbean to Alaska for the summer. . . ."

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Frequent-Flier Miles - Best Airlines for Cashing In

Availability of award tickets at the basic mileage level on United Airlines is twice as good, for example, as on Delta Air Lines or US Airways, according to the Switchfly Reward Seat Availability Survey. (source infra)

Frequent-Flier Miles: Best Airlines for Cashing In - WSJ.com: "Cashing in miles has been a source of long-standing frustration. Some fliers set clocks to request free tickets at midnight 331 days, or about 11 months, before departure—traditionally the moment airlines open a flight for booking—only to find no seats available on popular flights. And airlines have raised the price of award tickets by introducing higher-cost award tiers, reducing availability at the lowest award level."

 for more information and detailed chart go to link above and here

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Book Travel Online for Less and Photo tips

How to Book Travel Online for Less: " . . . Airline ticket pricing is a fickle mistress. While prices overall have steadily risen over the last two years—and showing no signs of stopping any time soon—the cost of an individual ticket depends on a myriad of factors, the largest of which being when you buy it and when you want to leave. . . ." (read more at link above)

Trey Ratcliff - Japan Photography Tips - YouTube: I did a little behind-the-scenes in Japan recently - this shows how I got a few different shots - more info at http://www.StuckInCustoms.com

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Many Air Passengers Never Turn Off Electronics

To add to the confusion, the F.A.A. permits passengers to use electric razors and audio recorders during all phases of flight, even though those give off more electronic emissions than tablets. (source infra)

Many Air Passengers Never Turn Off Electronics, Survey Finds - NYTimes.com: "In a study released on Thursday by two industry groups, the Airline Passenger Experience Association and the Consumer Electronics Association, as many as 30 percent of all passengers said they had accidentally left a device on during takeoff or landing. About 67 percent said they had never done this, always ensuring that their electronics were turned off. Four percent were unsure."

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Cook Islands paradise

Cook Islands paradise isn't plain sailing for all - The Japan Times: " . . . the Saturday-morning market on Rarotonga, which is home to all but about 4,000 of the nation’s population. Just at it teems with sarongs, ukuleles, pearls, masks and handwoven hats and mats, the islands have resorts a-plenty, with many set up to marry star-crossed lovers in a Christian church — in the traditional Maori way. The main island, Rarotonga, a volcano rising 4,500 meters from the ocean floor — or to 658 meters above sea level at the summit of Te Manga — has the cooling breezes of Hawaii, spectacular scenery to rival Bora Bora in Tahiti and a technicolored lagoon reminiscent of Guam or the Marshall Islands. Here, coconuts quite literally fall from the trees (beware!), and wherever the gaze falls it seems to happen on a cornucopia of avocados, papayas, mangoes, breadfruits, pineapples, starfruits and passionfruits. . . ." read more at link above

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