Travel plan idea blog

New “Superferry” makes its debut in Hawaii

A new way of traveling by sea between the Hawaiian Islands became possible on August 26th, offering an alternative to air travel and the long delays that US air travelers have seen this summer. The company, Hawaii Superferry introduced its service with bargain $5 one way fares – not surprisingly, over 2,000 passengers took advantage of the service on the first day of operations.

However, the maiden voyage didn’t go too well – the ferry was delayed for over two hours, due to hundreds of protesters (many on surfboards!) who claimed that the service posed an environmental threat and was operating in spite of a Supreme Court injunction. Hawaii Superferry claims that their ship is actually environmentally friendly, with no exposed propellers that could potentially harm marine life and no shipboard waste being dumped overboard.

The company also hopes to convince passengers that getting there is half the fun - the ferry boasts an observation lounge, restaurant and bar. There’s also a Premium Lounge which, for an extra charge offers more luxurious accommodation. The ferry also offers the latest in safety and technology, such as watertight compartments and state of the art satellite navigation.

At the moment, there is just one ship, the Alakai – a 250 feet long catamaran style ferry which can accommodate an impressive 866 passengers – which travels between Lihue, Honolulu and Maui. The company plans to introduce another vessel in 2009.

It takes just a few hours to travel by sea between the Hawaiian Islands, but if you really want to spend as much time as you can on a ship, you can actually live on a cruise ship. I had heard of this concept before, but didn’t realize what a big business it has become. The concept is apparently popular with older, retired (and presumably wealthy!) people who choose to buy a cabin on a cruise ship rather than spend that same money on nursing home or assisted living fees.

One site I found had so much detail and made it sound so appealing, that if I had the money, I would buy a cabin tomorrow. It isn’t cheap to live on a cruise ship, as you’ve probably guessed – a cabin measuring about 325 square feet costs around $200,000 to purchase, and a 3,000 square feet living space costs over $5 million.

At those prices, the rooms in some of the world’s most expensive hotels seem like quite a bargain! Not to mention places like Hanlei Bay Resort or Kuhio Shores condos.

Guest entry by Mancunian.

The rest of what you need to know about traveling in Rome with Kids: interview with J.M. Pasquesi

Yesterday we published the first 6 questions and answers from the author of Rome with Kids. Here's what J.M. Pasquesi wrote in answer to #7:

QUESTION: 7. I would love to see a discussion of your 'possible topics' listed in your introduction above particularly the first five. I'm planning on taking a trip to Europe with my then 6 & 9 year old next summer and Rome is right up there at the top of the list. Posted by: Todd Harris at July 21, 2007 4:25 PM

ANSWER: Each topic on the list is huge and many of them were briefly answered by me in the other Q&As I have already responded to (ie. Family friendly accommodations/ how young is too young/safety etc.)

Any dialogue on family travel abroad is best served by beginning with “how and when” to start planning. Each family is different: they have different wishes, needs, vacation schedules, and ages of children. However, for every family planning early is the best start. Just as soon as you get nail down the dates, begin looking for airfare bargains and then accommodations. High season sees the best locations filling up months and months in advance – and with a family, you want to shoot for the best locations. That means finding accommodations as central as is affordable for your family. Since adjoining rooms are rare, especially in Rome, you will do well to explore apartments, B&B’s, modest but central hotels, and even convents at the earliest. Such places are snapped up for good reason. You may pay a little more for a small place in the center of town, but it pays off by practically eliminating the need for transportation.

Shelling out for several cab rides each day can really add up. In addition, you’ll gain flexibility, like the convenience of ducking in and out of your room for naps, rest periods, or to drop shopping bags. It feels a lot more like a vacation when you can simply fall out your door to sights and restaurants without worrying about logistics like directions, transportation, and having to plan how much you can do before you “can go back to the hotel.” Finally, you gain the flexibility of splitting into groups: Teens may wish to “chill out” for an hour or so while adults tour an additional museum, for example.

Once you finally make it to your dream location, keep kids in mind for a truly special xperience. History and art are not boring; following behind adults on tour is very boring. It is simply a matter of presenting everything in fun and dynamic ways. You can do this in Rome by simply buying and following my book, Rome with Kids: an insider’s guide, since I’ve already done the work for you but, you can also create the same experiences in other cities with a small bit of homework. Just keep in mind that kids like to be active and they love dramatic stories, so present art and history in dramatic and active ways. Get to know a few people: pick a small group of historical figures who shaped the city you’re visiting and give the kids a thumbnail biography. I like to pick a major artist, a colorful patron (whose family symbols will likely be all over the city (bees, dragons etc.) and other such major players.

In Rome, for instance, Barberini Pope Urban VIII’s bee adorns many famous structures, fountains, and sculptures. Imagine the kids spotting it first: They will actually be able to tell you something for a change!

And remember to stay active. Don’t just drag them to the Spanish Steps, make them count how many there are; take a “Where’s Waldo” picture by letting them pose somewhere in the crowd and taking their picture. Blow it up when you get home for a great memento. Do not go to the Roman Forum and try to identify rubble; tell a story about Caesar’s murder and bring flowers to place at his temple. Whether touring the Louvre in Paris or the Pitti Palace in Florence, balance art museums and other confining visits with outdoor activities so kids can blow off steam. You get the idea.

Finally, always be mindful of children’s major needs: play, food, and bathroom breaks! With a little heads up, you can avoid the meltdowns caused by the absence of any of these three “deal breakers.” I like to include bathrooms on any of the custom maps I have made since it is a necessity for families. Small babies need to be changed, toddlers constantly have to make a trip when you’re least prepared, and having to cut a tour short in order to wander in search of a loo is no fun for anyone. Pepper your day with small treats to keep energy high and stomachs happy. One of the best reasons to choose Italy as an American Family destination is the food! What kid does not like some form of simple pasta (butter only, salt and pepper, tomato sauce), pizza, and gelato (ice-cream). Use small portions for quick snack breaks. Kids may not want to walk from the Pantheon to the Trevi fountain, but give them a cone of gelato and they won’t even
notice the march!

What you need to know about traveling in Rome with Kids: interview with J.M. Pasquesi

Here's the interview with J.M. Pasquesi, the author of Rome with Kids, that I promised you a while back.

1. If we only have 2 days in Rome with our 12yr. old grandaughter, what do you suggest we see? Posted by: Sue Rosa at July 18, 2007 3:40 PM

ANSWER: With any child, but especially when you have so little time, efficiency in touring is your best friend. Take the time to plan a course ahead of time – that means double checking hours of operation. You don’t want to plan to see the Sistine Chapel on a day it’s closed! In my book, you’ll find 11 “mini-tours” that take you step-by-step in the most efficient way possible. Pick a few together with your child and then hit the road. A 12-yr. old can handle 2-4 of those tours a day. You should not miss the Forums/Colosseum/Pantheon/Trevi and a few major piazzas – like Piazza Navona or Piazza di Spagna.

2. We're thinking of taking a two week trip to Italy next summer with our 3 children ages 14, 18 and 21. We'd like to try to stay in or near Venezia, Firenze and Roma and take day trips from each city to explore some smaller towns. Can you give us any suggestions to keep everyone involved and no one too tired from trying to see everything. We'd really rather not go to a new hotel every night if possible. Can you help? Posted by: Rob at July 18, 2007 9:05 PM

ANSWER: I’m tired just reading this question. Even though your kids are older (14-18 years) you still need to be mindful of my “Space and Pace” rule. Kids need space to relax and wind down from lines, touring, following, driving, flying, waiting, waiting, waiting...! You also need to tour at a much slower pace in order to avoid burn out. That means getting through museums quickly, but taking your time at lunch, actively engaging sights, piazzas and shops etc. Trying to pack in too much in will lead to stress.

Venice does not require more than an overnight, in my opinion; you can even make it a long day trip from Florence. The Eurostar wisks you between the two cities in 2:45 minutes!

Florence and Rome have a wonderful selection of apartments for let that will give you more than double the space of hotels for half the price! Plus, you can stock the fridge with snacks and drinks, and even enjoy breakfast at “home.” Many hotels offer family rooms with four beds (sometimes 5) or adjoining rooms. Some B&B’s are small enough that you can take the whole place over (3 bedrooms). Look for accommodations ideas in the back of the book or try venere.com, a popular European site that lets you enter number of people and number of rooms (i.e. 5 people, 1 room). What ever you choose, stay as close to the center (centro) of town as you can afford to allow for easy access to breaks.

Finally, keep the day trips to a minimum and a short range. For instance, from Rome, you may wish to skip Pompeii (6 hours of your day will be spent in transport) and take the ½ hour train ride to Ostia Antica, where you can hop off the train, walk across a pedestrian bridge and see similar ruins of an abandoned town (Rome’s ancient port town) and then walk into the charming little center of Ostia for lunch and a quick tour of a castle.

To keep kids involved, share a little background (major artists, patrons, popes etc.) ahead of touring so that they are armed with a little info. Then, when you’re touring, they may even be able to tell you a few things rather than always being lectured. Make history fun by including activities, dramatic stories and compelling questions (who was murdered here? How many steps are there at the Spanish Steps? Let’s find the belly button of Rome).

3. I am taking 3 grandchildren to Rome during Easter, would it be less crowded Good Friday or Easter week end? Posted by: wanda edler at July 19, 2007 3:08 AM

ANSWER: It’ll be about the same. Easter is high season for Rome, but it’s one of my favorite times to be there, too. Keep in mind that the Pope leads a huge, candle-lit procession from the Colosseum on Good Friday. This is a pretty neat event to witness. Holy Thursday Mass is usually at San Giovanni. The first week of April also brings Cultural Heritage Week, an annual week which brings free entry to many sights (but also crowds). April 21 is Rome’s official birthday, so you’ll be treated to many street festivities, especially around the forum which hosts an historical parade of sorts that week.

4. We are bring our 2 children, aged 12 and 9 to Italy. We are planning to go to Rome, Venice, Florence and Milan. Please advise on accomodations, food and places of interest. Thank you. Posted by: Vivien at July 19, 2007 7:25 AM

ANSWER: See my answer to #2 above. As for sights: in Milan, be sure to take the kids to the roof of the Duomo for a fairy-tale like experience among the gothic flying buttresses and stone paths; in Florence, climb the tower to get a good view of the famous dome and enjoy some time strolling the wonderful gardens behind the Pitti Palace – especially since Florence is so museum heavy (which can be boring for kids); in Venice, don’t miss a tour of the Doge’s Palace. Spend the bulk of your time in Rome since it’s most kid-friendly and nearly everything is walking distance.

5. How young is TOO young for children in Rome? Our youngest will just turn 7 before our trip. We also have a 8, 12, and 14 year old. Are there places that accommodate a family of six without splitting us up? Thanks! Posted by: CJ Treangen at July 19, 2007 9:56 PM

ANSWER: Italians love children, so you never need worry about them being accepted at any age. Waiters will dote on them! As for touring ages, it’s best, in my opinion, to travel with babies that you can still carry in a backpack or kids old enough to walk a fair amount on their own (little legs wear out quickly). Ages 7 and up are the best for stamina and ability to hold interests. They can be given fun tasks and enjoy stories; they can eat and sleep on adult schedules; and they can retain memories of the lovely experience you’ve created for them.

There are plenty of places to keep the six of you together. Your best bet will be an apartment for lots of space in close proximity to the sights, but several hotels accommodate families, like Lancelot Hotel, for example. Just be sure to use a quality apartment service and check them out using a site like tripadvisor.com or slowtrav.com, which post reviews.

6. Me and my family (including a 1, 1 1/2, and 7 yo) are traveing to Italy in a few months and were a bit worried it would be to much for the kids to go from city to city. We were planning on visiting Florence, Venice, and Rome. Do you have any suggestions? any concerns? Posted by: Tatiana Donis at July 20, 2007 12:23 PM

ANSWER: You don’t say how long you will be traveling. 3 cities in two weeks or more is about right, but 3 cities in 1 week is too much. You are right that kids like to stay put. Adult and kids alike can benefit immensely from digging in and really exploring a city and culture that is foreign to them. It makes for a rich and intimate experience rather than checking sights off a list, systematically moving from city to city to do so. Find a nice balance and make sure to schedule in parks, botanical gardens, and some peaceful down time. Keep snacks on hand for train rides and alternate museums with outdoor activities like piazzas and fountains. And don’t forget safety: I like to stuff pockets of small children with business cards from the hotel you’re staying (or cards with your phone number) in the case they get lost. Book advance reservations for all the major museums you wish to see; you’ll avoid long lines by skipping them and going to will-call.

I hope that was helpful. There was a 7th question that hasn't been answered yet. I'm not sure what will happen with that one...

How are the foreign transaction fees on your credit card?

I just noticed that mine are pretty steep (I use an MBNA turned Bank of America NCL cruise rewards card) - a $600 charge = an $18 foreign transaction fee. A $9 charge is more like 25 cents. Is that normal?

Switching from planes to trains or driving

I suppose terrible airline experiences shouldn't be too surprising these days, considering that this has been the worst summer for delayed flights in the US, but this one still amazes me:

Things seemed fine when she arrived at the gate for the first connection. They still seemed fine — the sign at the gate still brightly proclaimed that her flight would be on time — when she and other passengers noticed that the flight after theirs was boarding, and they weren’t.

Somebody had the temerity to ask, and was told, “Oh, we canceled yours.” No apology, and apparently no intention of making an announcement....

“So I’m not flying any more,” she said with that dangerous emphasis that I know not to contradict. “They don’t care how much they inconvenience you, or how much they lie to you. I’m just not doing it any more.”

Of course not, dear. Especially since, between her experiences and my own, this was the third trip in a row that could have been completed more quickly by driving. That haul up interstates 77 and 81, passing through six states, is a stroll in the park compared to these aeronautic nightmares.

The author's wife clearly agrees that US airlines are broken, and I don't blame her. Not telling passengers about a cancelled flight is just ridiculous.

Some may blame the air traffic control system, and no doubt better infrastructure would help, but I have to blame this on the airlines. This reminds me I owe you a Spirit Airlines review. I gave up looking for my notes...

Virginia's Natural Bridge for sale

Speaking of buying micronations, how about Natural Bridge, a 215-foot-high limestone arch in Virginia? Apparently it's only 39.5 million and just waiting to be developed.

Gladiator training at the Rome Cavalieri Hilton

It's not too often that a travel article makes me laugh, but this one did. Just keep in mind that gladiator training isn't cheap these days, especially at the Rome Cavalieri Hilton where travelers get to do this instead of wandering around Rome:

...a two-hour fitness session on its 15-acre grounds. Participants don full gladiator garb, including tunic, belt and sandals, then start learning combat moves with a rudis, or wooden training sword...

I'm not sure if they have gladiator training for kids, and we didn't ask in our questions about Rome with kids entry (which by the way I submitted to the author and am waiting for a response).

Related entries: Rome and Venice hotel experiences
Trevi Fountain picture

World's smallest country up for sale!

Many of us remember learning at school that the world’s largest country is Russia and the smallest is Vatican City. However, there seems to be another claimant of title of world’s smallest country - and it’s also for sale.

The Principality of Sealand is an abandoned WWII anti- aircraft defense base, which measures around 550 square meters. It’s supported by two huge concrete towers and can only be reached by boat or helicopter. Sealand is located about seven miles off the coast of Harwich, England.

Sealand was occupied by a former British Army major, Paddy Roy Bates, in 1967 who declared it an independent state – he later introduced passports, currency and a national anthem. Sealand has even had problems with people trying to forge its passports! The UK declared that Sealand was outside UK territorial waters, so Sealand has just about succeeded in clinging to its status as an independent state.

But now Sealand is for sale, partly due to a fire that severely damaged the structure in 2006, for a price tag rumored to be around $997 million – although other offers may be considered. Sealand is apparently described in the listing as a “micronation”. The general public isn’t allowed to visit Sealand – although I imagine if you were making an offer to buy the place, they would have to show you around.

It isn’t the first time that someone has tried to declare their town or home as an independent country. If you haven’t ever been there, the small town of Hay-on-Wye which straddles the border between England and Wales, boasts about 30 second hand bookshops, and is a fascinating place to visit.

The town has become known as the “Town of Books” and is the forerunner of several other “booktowns” throughout the world, partly due to the foresight of Richard Booth who opened the first bookshop in the town in 1961.

One of several publicity stunts that Booth undertook was to declare home rule for Hay and to declare Hay as an Independent Kingdom on April 1st, 1977 – April Fool’s Day, of course. You can purchase the title of Duke or Duchess of the town, as well as a passport to Hay for about $100. I have been to Hay several times but have no intention of taking out citizenship!

Has anybody actually visited Sealand? Or has anyone visited any other self-proclaimed nations? There’s even a guidebook to these places: Micronations published by Lonely Planet books.

Guest entry by Mancunian

More competition = better service (we hope)

Just a quick article that may be of interest to some about how competition in the online travel business is going to heat up. That should mean better customer service since industry growth won't be strong enough to increase profits at these big companies.

It's a UK article, but I imagine the same applies in the US. I sure hope so!

Rambling about my European winter vacation

I know I still owe you a Spirit Airlines review. I'm going to put it off one more day and hope that I find my notes by tomorrow...

So instead let me ramble for a bit about my winter vacation plans. I may have already mentioned somewhere that we're going to Munich for the Christmas market (not to mention the museums and other things). We haven't quite decided where to go after that (for New Year's).

My first thought was Paris, but no one seems to know if they are doing fireworks or not. Apparently it's not an annual thing. I know I could still look forward to La Grande Parade de Paris on January 1st, but I'm not really crazy about parades.

I heard something about Monaco's International Circus Festival. I'm not even sure what that is yet but I have to figure out what I'm doing soon in order to book hotels so i should go look it up...

We plan to wrap up our winter vacation in Madrid. I just read that it gets pretty cold in Madrid in January and that maybe we should go further south, maybe to Seville. I think I'll brave the cold in Madrid. I don't think any weather will keep me from seeing Plaza di Cibeles.

So the rough plan is:

1 week in Munich (including Christmas)
1 week in Paris (including New Year)
1 week in Madrid

We actually have about 3 and a half weeks so we might try to do both Madrid and Seville.

Anyway, if you have comments or suggestions, especially about the best New Year's celebrations in Europe, please leave a comment.

Hurricane season in the Caribbean

I went to Punta Cana just in time to beat hurricane season it seems. It was purely luck. After I had booked everything, I read something about hurricane season being in August. Further research revealed that it really started in mid-August. Lucky me.

Hurricane Dean seems to have brought out the best in the airline industry:

Delta waived penalties for travel to many destinations, including Belize, Cancun, Merida, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Punta Cana and its Jamaica destinations for passengers traveling Aug. 17-22

Due to Hurricane Dean, Northwest Airlines has issued a weather waiver for passengers with confirmed tickets for travel August 17-22, 2007 to, from or through Cancun, Cozumel, Montego Bay, Punta Cana, San Juan and St. Maarten.

I wonder if it wouldn't be smarter for airlines to require travel insurance of people purchasing tickets during hurricane season.

One US couple got an up close view of Hurricane Dean on their honeymoon, but are now safely home:

They captured photos of water in the streets, downed trees, and power lines scattered across the resort town. It was not a typical honeymoon, but spending their first vacation together in the path of destruction may be a sign that these two will be just fine.

"I would say it was really an adventure, we got through it. It was a good first test of marriage," Rachel said.

Honeymoons aren't supposed to test your marriage, but I suppose you could avoid it by not going to the Caribbean during hurricane season.

Speaking of US newlyweds going to the Caribbean on their honeymoon, my sister should be cruising around there now. I wonder if her cruise is one of the 16 that had to change their itineraries...

People from Aberdeen also had trouble thanks to Hurricane Dean. I didn't search for more articles, but I imagine people from lots of places have similar stories.

I've been lucky and never really had a weather issue while traveling. I seem to get lucky with wether when I travel actually. Has anyone here experienced a hurricane or something in their travels?

Grunberg Haus: B&B in Vermont

Overview: I recommend Grunberg Haus for people who have a reason to go to Vermont. It sounds cryptic, but it really depends on the season. In the Fall you might go for Autumn leaves and hiking, in Winter it could be skiing or snow shoeing, In Spring or Summer I suppose it might be hiking or just nice trips to places like Burlington and Stowe for shopping or whatever.

Anyway, if you find yourself looking for a place to stay in Waterbury, Vermont for whatever reason, I feel that Grunberg Haus is a good choice. Here's my experience:

After my sister's wedding in Boston my wife and I took my parents to Vermont to help them unwind, celebrate, whatever. So it was my wife and I, my parents, and their dog.

So when we arrived my father asked how strict they were about the rules (the rules are pretty strict). My father explained that we had a crate but preferred to let Eagle (our dog) wander around the room even while we were out. We promised he would stay off the furniture and that if there were a problem we'd pay for any damage.

The owner said he trusted us and we left the crate in the car. I'm not promising that they'll make exceptions in the future, so if you're bringing your dog, bring a crate.

Now dogs are not allowed in the main B&B - they are allowed in the three cabins that close for winter in mid-October. Jeff, the owner, showed us to the cabin which was a bit of a hike for my parents so we decided that my wife and I would stay in the cabin with the dog, while my parents stayed in the main building.

The cabin was rustic but nice. Heat came from a wood burning stove or an electric space heater. The stove was small but I still managed to get a hot fire going that had my wife up all night (angry with me) and Eagle up all night panting. We could have opened the windows, but my wife hates the possibility of a few bugs more than extreme heat so we kept the windows closed. There were screens.

There was no phone or TV, something I think is refreshing. Cell phone reception is spotty at best. The floors and rugs in the cabins are swept but not vacuumed (I think) so the carpet was a bit dirty. My wife and I weren't bothered and the sheets and quilts and things were nice and clean.

The cabins are right near some trails in the woods, which Eagle loved. Jeff told us that people often comment on how much their dogs enjoy the woods. Dogs should be kept leashed, obviously. You don't want your dog chasing a squirrel or deer deep into the forest or going after one of the free-range chickens at Grunberg Haus.

The room in the main house was also nice, with no TV or phone (there is a phone in the main building - bring a calling card for long distance). The main building is set up with WiFi so you can get internet access. As you can tell from the few days of missing blog entries I chose no phones, no TV, and no internet. Hey, it's a vacation.

Grunberg Haus has a nice, cozy atmosphere. There's a game room with a fridge that has free apple cider plus you can make instant coffee or hot chocolate. You can also put your own food in the fridge. There's also a large fireplace that must be really wonderful in winter. There was no need for a fire while we were there, but people sat around the living room on chairs and couches chatting and drinking wine. I think there was some liquor (maybe cognac) free for people to drink.

If you're looking for a modern hotel, Grunberg haus may not be for you. The carpet on the main floor looks somewhat old, some rooms don't have private bathrooms (we paid for one that did), and there's the no phone / no TV thing.

Breakfast was good. One day we had apple sauce pancakes and the other day baked French toast. Everyone was full after breakfast, but we were all surprised that we weren't asked if we wanted more food. I'm not sure (forgot to ask) if guests who want seconds are fed as much as they can eat.

I'll quote the official costs, which I think are a fair value:

On weekends, we have a large suite with queen bed in one bedroom, twin size bed in a small second bedroom, and private bathroom for $135/night; a large suite room with two queen beds, private bathroom, and gas log woodstove for $145/night; standard rooms with private bathrooms for $125/night; and rooms that share a connecting bathroom with the room next door for $95/night.

On week nights (Sun - Thurs nights), the rates are $120/night for the suite room, $130/night for the suite room with gas log woodstove, $110/night for standard room with a private bathroom, and $80/night for a room with a shared bathroom.

We also have cabins, each with a queen bed and private bathroom. On Fri and Sat nights, they rent for $145/night. Week nights, they rent for $130/night. The cabins are an ideal size for romantic getaways for two people. We take pets in the cabins with prior notification ($5/night per pet, minimum of $10) but not in the inn. The cabins are open until October 31 when we close them for winter.

All in all, it was exactly what you want from a B&B: friendly owners, nice rooms, good food, and a friendly atmosphere (we had nice chats with several other guests).

Feel free to ask me questions here.

Sirenis Resorts Punta Cana: comprehensive review

Overview: I recommend Sirenis Punta Cana to certain people looking for an all-inclusive beach resort. Those most likely to enjoy Sirenis Punta Cana are those who have or don’t mind children and who enjoy the company of Europeans.

Personal experience:

My wife and I spent 6 nights in early August at the resort (daily blog entries from that stay can be found here: first impression, first full day, day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5). We will recommend it to any of our friends looking for an all-inclusive beach resort. If we returned to Punta Cana we would strongly consider another stay at Sirenis, but would also be willing to try out another resort in the same area.

Food: We loved the food. The buffet was always excellent with perhaps 10 entrees at dinner time. There were always several that I really enjoyed. I believe that the food was inspired by European tastes since the resort’s guests were mostly European and since I had never heard of most of the dishes before. I tried many new dishes at Sirenis, something I really enjoyed (especially since many of them were very good).

At lunch the buffet was passable. There was a mediocre pasta station where they would heat up already cooked pasta while you chose what kind of sauce you wanted. Luckily there is a second lunch buffet with a smaller but better selection. Here they always had a grill where they were cooking up ham steaks (a bit saltier than I like), pork cutlets (good), or beef (a bit tough).

About 60% of the time the buffet had delicious, fresh mangoes. They always had some melon, banana, and pineapple. The cakes and puddings seemed very popular with kids. I only tried one type of cake, an interesting one that looked like some kind of European pastry.

For dinner, the resort also has 8 restaurants, 7 of which are included in the all-inclusive (the other is $35/person). I generally thought the buffet was better than the restaurants, but each restaurant was a nice change of pace featuring food not really found in the buffet. The crepe restaurant was interesting, a totally new experience for someone who had only ever heard of crepes before thanks to an IHOP breakfast menu. My chicken crepe was good. The steakhouse was also good, as was the roast duck in the Chinese restaurant and the chicken in the seafood restaurant (the menu was all seafood except for the chicken dish). The veal in the Italian restaurant was not so good and the “gelato” was a joke. Of course, what's to complain about? You can always leave the restaurant and go to the buffet without spending extra money so if you don’t like your meal it’s really not a big deal.

The buffet does open all night. I went there at 1:00 AM to check it out and they had a few choices. None looked especially good but I ended up trying a type of Dominican sausage (probably the only authentic Dominican cooking I had the whole stay) that was pretty greasy for me.

All in all, the food was the best part of the trip. I ate a ton, tried many new dishes, and found many that I really enjoyed. Those of you on a diet, should seriously consider not going to an all-inclusive.

Of course the other part of an all-inclusive are the drinks. The ones at Sirenis were good – they had a large cocktail menu and while they didn’t use name brand alcohol, I can’t taste the difference. There were bars all over the place, on the beach, swim-up bars in the pool, in the lounge, and in at least some of the restaurants. A drink was never far away.

So we enjoyed the food. The resort itself was beautiful. I’ll have some pictures soon. We didn’t spend much time in the room, but it was very nice. I would note that they don’t seem to vacuum (they mop) so if you get sand in your room it seems to stay there.

We also enjoyed the beach, the ocean, and the pool. The pool only had one shaded part so for people (like me) who go to the Caribbean to hide from the sun you’ll have limited options during the day. The shade part is also where some annoying kids liked to hang out. They did all kinds of crazy things from dropping plastic cups to the bottom of the pool where the rest of us would step on them, to throwing hard balls that hurt when they hit you, to just swimming and splashing obliviously.

Now the good news is that the pool is huge. If you don’t need shade, you can easily find a kid-free zone.

The other good news is that the pool seems to be open at night. I’m not sure if this is official hotel policy, but I did see people swimming at night and I never saw anyone hanging around by the pool to stop night swimmers.

Possibly bad news is that there were no lifeguards by the pool or the ocean. That didn’t bother my wife or me, but I could see some parents being concerned about there being no lifeguards.

The ocean was as good for swimming as the pool – the water was always calm while we were there though I’m not sure if that’s true year-round. The beach was an assortment of people from kids, to 20 somethings, to 40 and 50 somethings. Very rarely did you see someone over 60 at the resort.

Bikinis seemed mandatory for women. I think I saw one or two little girls and maybe an old lady in normal bathing suits. Some women went topless. Men wore swimming trunks or speedos.

What I’ve described so far was the backbone of my experience. We slept in the room (and on the beach), we ate, we hung around in the pool, and in the ocean or on the beach.

There are one or two other things worth mentioning. There is a night club and a casino. I didn’t even enter the casino but I did check out the night club where they play Spanish language music and where people actually dance well. I was out of place there, even more than I am in regular night clubs.

A few negatives: Not much went wrong at Sirenis. I did have an issue with my room’s safe key. And I did leave a note for housekeeping to leave me extra water which was ignored. Sometimes making reservation for the steakhouse is difficult. We did find about 5 mosquitoes in our room when we first arrived. After killing them we didn’t see any more the entire trip.

Well that’s my review. Great food, beautiful resort and pool, nice beach, calm ocean, and a great time. Considering the quality of the room and the food, we found this to be an excellent value. I think the normal price is about $170/night.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

US air traffic system to be overhauled?

My flight from JFK to Seoul was an interesting one. A 14 hour non-stop is always interesting, but this one left at 1:00 AM New York time and arrived in Seoul at 3:30 AM local time.

I've never been at an airport at 3:30 AM. Incheon airport was more corwded than I expected and had fewer transportation and food options available than I was hoping for. The first buses started running after 5:00 AM so if you wanted to leave right away you would have to pay substantially more for a taxi. The only places to get food were a convenient store and a McDonalds.

There was a Korean Air information counter open, so we were able to arrange a flight to Jinju where we are now (visiting with my in-laws who were watching our dogs).

I'll be back to blogging normally (with the promised reviews) soon. For today, here's a guest entry by Mancunian:

We recently talked about how horrendous the delays have been for air travelers in the United States this summer. US airlines are having their worst summer ever for delayed and canceled flights, as many of us can probably verify.

This summer, the average delay was supposedly 51 minutes and in general, air travel delays cost passengers $9.4 billion every year (How do they calculate these figures, I can’t help wonder) And by the year 2014, air travel delays are forecasted to be around 60% higher than 2004 levels.

Part of the reason is the fact that there are more planes and passengers flying – today, around 45,000 flights occur over the US in a typical day. By 2016, that figure is expected to rise to over 61,000 flights, according to Smart Skies. And more passengers are flying in the US than ever before – in fact, the numbers are now over pre 9/11 levels.

The US air traffic control infrastructure was basically designed in the 1950s and is now too antiquated to keep up. Many air traffic facilities are understaffed and many of the busier ones are staffed by junior controllers, with little experience. And starting salaries have been cut for air traffic controllers – making a stressful job even less appealing.

The antiquated air traffic control system is potentially dangerous as well. Last week, there was another near miss at Los Angeles International airport – the 8th such incident at the same airport this year. And in July this year, two planes came close to colliding at Philadelphia International airport.

There are proposals to overhaul the entire air traffic control system in the United States with a comprehensive system using global satellite positioning technology – basically the same thing that is in many newer cars. This would both improve efficiency and also help make air travel safer.

But of course, it all costs money. Modernizing the entire air traffic control system across the US comes with an estimated $40 billion price tag and the FAA has yet to persuade the airlines and congress to pay for it. So, you probably shouldn’t expect the delays to improve any time soon!

I owe you two hotel reviews and a Spirit Airlines review

My summer travels in the US and Dominican Republic are mostly over. I just got back from Vermont where my parents (and their dog) and my wife and I stayed at a B&B called, Grunberg Haus.

I drove most of the 6 hours home to New York today so I'm not ready to fill you in on everything right now. I'm tired plus I have to pack since I fly to Korea tomorrow.

If I can I'll write more later tonight or tomorrow. Or you might not hear from me for a couple of days, but I'll be back with regular blogs and the promised reviews once I get sort of settled in Korea...

Update to a recent posting - just how expensive can hotel rooms get…?

Just when I thought I had researched thoroughly for my posting a few weeks ago on the world’s most expensive hotel rooms, I find a hotel room that’s even more expensive. The Ty Warner suite (named after the hotel’s owner, the creator of Beanie Babies) at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York costs a staggering $30,000 per night. The suite is around 4,300 square feet, which by a quick calculation is almost three times the size of my entire house.

The suite boasts several bedrooms, a library, spa and exercise room, along with panoramic views over New York in all directions (I have a friend wih an apartment overlooking Central Park - it's very nice but it's still hard to imagine what this suite's view is like). Guests also have access to all the food that they can eat from room service, a personal butler on call and use of a Rolls-Royce to take trips around town.

If you can’t quite afford the Ty Warner suite, a standard deluxe room at the same hotel costs around $1000 a night. Smaller suites start at around $2,150 a night – and the hotel says they have no trouble filling these rooms most of the time.

The Four Seasons hotel is also the tallest hotel in New York – but not the tallest hotel in the world. As far as I can see, that title goes to the Rose Tower in Dubai, at just over 1000 feet. Dubai seems obsessed with tall buildings and currently boasts the world’s tallest, still under construction at 1600 feet and rising.

However, if you prefer your hotel rooms small, Japan is the place to go. So-called capsule hotels have been popular in Japan for some time; they aren’t really rooms, more like capsules as the name suggests. They are just about large enough to lie down in and have a TV screen at one end. The bathroom is usually down the corridor somewhere. They make for an inexpensive – and memorable - stay in one of the world’s most expensive countries.

The concept has recently spread to Europe - capsule hotel rooms opened at London’s Gatwick Airport in June, and the company, Yotel plans to open more capsule rooms at London’s Heathrow airport and Amsterdam’s Schipol airport in early 2008. Yotel rooms are slightly bigger than Japan’s capsule hotels and have room for a shower. They cost from between $50 to $80 for a stay of four hours and then $10 per hour thereafter.

I’m curious as to how comfortable they are…has anyone stayed in a tiny hotel room? (Or one of the hotels listed as being the most expensive)?

Guest entry by Mancunian

Traveling alone: single and solo vacations

Here's an interesting article on traveling alone that mentions two types of independent travel:

Solo vacations are more structured, experiential travel for people who want to go to a destination they may never get to visit with family.

Single vacations are more-mixer oriented geared towards people who want to be in the company of other single travelers.

I actually have some problems with these definitions - why are solo vacations necessarily more structured? A mixer-oriented vacation (a single vacation) could also be very structured, couldn't it?

Well I don't have time to explore the issue further - I'm doing my sister's wedding ceremony tomorrow (In Massachusetts I can be ordained for a day in order to do a wedding ceremony). While I think I'm done writing my speech, I'd better make sure...

What should I do in Boston (besides the duck tour)?

I'm in Boston for my sister's wedding. I won't have much free time, but I do have a bit of free time to explore. Our family is already planning a duck tour so I could use some advice on what else to do while I'm in Boston.

I have pamphlets for New England Aqurium which I hear is very good. I have another one for the Mapparium mentioned on this blog a long time ago), which I've visited and absolutely love. I might just go back there. I also have a card for the ICA, Boston's Institue of Contemporary Art and one for a 4 hour whale watch.

Contemporary Art is pretty hit or miss with me plus I've already been to Boston's ICA so Boston's Museum of Fine Arts would be a more likely choice. If I find myself with enough time to make a museum visit viable, maybe I should just walk the Freedom Trail or the Black Heritage Trail.

I will have some time tomorrow night, well I could have some time if I don't join my future brother in law and some of his friends for drinks, so the Prudential Observatory is an option for night views of Boston. Of course I should just go to the bar, but I don't like drinking and my wife would then have to go hang out with my sister and her friends. That's not bad, but I think she'd prefer the observatory since we've been to the top of the Empire State Building, Namsan Tower and the 63 Building in Seoul, and the Petronas buildings and the tall KL Tower in Kuala Lumpur. We really like night views of big cities from high vantage points.

There are a few movie and TV tourism choices like the two "Cheers" bars (an original which inspired the TV show's setting and a replica set up by Hollywood at Faneuil Hall Marketplace. I have a brochure for that one too.

It's also restaurant week in Boston, so maybe we shoud try to take advantage of that...

But now that I'm done brainstorming, what are your ideas for fun things to do in Boston?

Back from Punta Cana and on my way to Boston

I'm going to need some time to compose my reviews of Sirenis and Spirit Airlines. I'm back home now but have to pack for a drive from New York to Boston tomorrow for my sister's wedding this weekend...

Last full day in Punta Cana's Sirenis resort

This day was much like the previous ones in that it was very relaxing. The only thing out of the ordinary today was when we gave away $30 worth of toy cars we had brought for children (we never took a tour or saw a rural village or school so it was either give them to Sirenis employees or bring them back home).

Otherwise it was pretty normal. Wake up and go to the beach to find a good spot (got the best spot yet today), eat breakfast, make dinner reservations, exercise, shower, go to the beach...

Actually that reminds me of what I did differently. At first I went to take a free scuba lesson. They do this daily but I kept putting it off. The guy asked me when i was flying and I told him tomorrow.

He said scuba would be dangerous because of the nitrogen if I was flying within 48 hours. I had read 24 hours somewhere, but I'm not about to take risks to go scuba diving in the hotel pool (though it would be nice to learn one day). So I didn't scuba dive.

I did go snorkeling, however. Actually this made me quite nervous as I read somewhere that you can cut yourself pretty seriously on coral. I felt that I was very close to the coral and the water was slightly rough so sometimes I'd kind of be pushed too close for comfort.

Maybe I felt more exposed because this was my first time snorkeling without a life vest but I figured the risk of bumping an arm or a leg would be much greater. Anyway, before I saw anything cool I gave up. Nex time I'll wear a wet suit or something to protect myself from an accidental scrape. Yes, I know this makes me a wimp.

So I asked the guys in charge I asked what I should have seen. Apparently there's not much to see unless you take the tour. I missed that opportunity.

But other than snorkeling it was a normal day. We went to the spa after the beach. Then we had dinner in the buffet - it was really excellent tonight. There was a great creole chicken, good ribs, roast beef at the carving station, etc.

Our main dinner tonight was at the Italian place. Things were looking good when we saw the menu. They had some interesting pizzas, several types of pasta and several types of sauce that you could mix and match, and veal.

So my wife had tortellini arrabiata and I had the veal. Her meal was good, though the sauce was made more with tobasco than the peppers favored in italy. My veal was not so great. It was deep fried and tasted it (greasy) and was a little tough to chew.

The other new thing we did today was go to show. They have one every night but this was the first one I saw. It was better than I expected, a dance variety show. Some skits were better than others, but it was neat to see so many people we recognized among the performers. Most of them actually work at the resort by day and perform at night it seems.

Those are my notes for the day. To prevent the confusion I caused with other daily Sirenis blogs, let me warn everyone that this is not conclusive at all. I'm just writing down everything I remember now and want to remember later...

Day 4 in Sirenis Punta Cana

Well we managed to stay up late enough to visist the disco last night. It was pretty different from any nightclub I've ever seen. The dance floor was a circle with a wall around it. People would hang out by the wall and watch the dancers.

The dancers were very skilled - I think they were dancing merengue to the Spanish langugae dance songs being played. I tried tog et my wife to try it out, but she knows how bad a dancer I am and the people out there really seemed to have had a lot of practice. No doubt she saved me from looking like a dancing fool (any Frank Zappa fans catch the reference there?).

We also went to the beach last night to reserve some good lounge chairs in the sahde. I wanted to wake up early to do this - going at night felt like cheating somehow. But we did it at night and it worked; we had a nice spot today.

So today was much like other days. Breakfast, Spanish lesson (painful for a professional educator), exercise (the trainer in the gym is very friendly and he really knows his stuff), lunch, beach, lunch, pool, beach, spa, snack, dinner. I think I got the order right there.

Dinner was in the crepe restaurant, which was an interesting experience for me. I had seen my grandmother get crepes in IHOP when I was in college, but never really experienced them for myself. As always, dinner was good. I had the soup with tortillas - the best soup I've had here at Sirenis by far. Then a chicken crepe and a crepe suzet for desert. My wife liked her Sirenis crepe and her desert, a crepe with caramel and ice cream.

I'm really impressed with the food here at Sirenis. The buffet is pretty luxurious (for our snack before dinner tonight we had prosciutto). Then there are the restaurants including Chinese, seafood, vegetarian, steak, crepe, Italian, Mexican, and one other that I plan on checking out tomorrow). You really can't get bored with the food here.

We also tried a new drink, blended cherry brandy (cherry brandy, freshly squeezed lime juice, ice, mix it all in a blender). It's great tasting, cool, tropical-looking, and just perfect for us here in Punta Cana on the beach.

Speaking of drinks, my wife has been struggling with the coffee and cappuccino our whole stay. The coffee is very very strong so she always asks for half coffee and then just extra hot water. Even then it can be too strong for her. That's tough for someone who relies heavily on coffee. The cappuccino on the other hand is too sweet.

That's about all I have to tell you about today. Except to note that we still haven't gone for our night swim. We could, but my wife hasn't felt like it and I don't enjoy it much alone. It's just funny that I tried so hard to find a resort that permits night swimming, ended up in one accidentally, and now haven't done it...

Tomorrow I might be a bit more active as I try to do some activities I've been skipping in order to write a more complete review.

Day 3: trying to decide on taking an excursion

Sirenis continues to impress and my wife and I are trying to decide if we should do one of the excursions. We don't see the need really because we're having a very good vacation just sticking around the resort.

Today we woke up at 8:30 because our wake up call never came. We easily found a spot with shade, actually the same one I got an hour earlier yesterday morning. This was surprising because starting Friday night the resort seemed to start getting more crowded.

After breakfast we took a 30 minute Spanish lesson. I won't bore you with the details but speaking as a linguist I wasn't impressed with the teaching. Nevertheless I'm returning tomorrow.

Then my wife hit the beach and I hit the gym. We didn't meet up again until 12:30 or so. We spent a little time together on the beach and then got lunch. As always the food was fine though my ham steaks were a bit salty. I ate a bunch of them anyway since I'm on a high protein diet.

After lunch we went swimming in the pool. There are always kids splashing abput in the parts of the pool with shade. If you're willing to hang out in the sun it's easier to avoid them.

I don't like sun so I endured. There's a swim-up bar in the shade. My wife and I generally don't drink but I've probably tried 5 or 6 different cocktails since I've arrived here. They've all been good. When I get a black russion here it's bigger than you get for $6 in a regular bar. They may use no name liquor but I don't taste any difference...

Then we went to the beach for a while longer and then to the spa. I had to pick my seat in the sauna carefully because there was a topless woman in there and I didn't want to look.

American parents might consider this before bringing children here. There are certainly some cultural differences evident. Today my wife and I were surprised to see a topless mommy putting sunscreen on her kid. How many American males see their mom's breasts after they are (I'm not sure) 3? This kid was at least school age I'd guess...

Anyway, cultural differences are part of traveling.

We definitley like the big jacuzzi style bath here. After the spa we went the steakhouse for dinner at 6:30. It was good. My wife had the sirloin and I had chimichurri or something like that (beef tenderloin apparently). Those were the only steaks on the menu. They also had ribs, BBQ chicken, hamburger, and a few other choices.

I'm not sure it's so much better than the other restaurants but there's no denying it's the most popular and the hardest to reserve. When I think about how well we eat here, Sirenis is an excellent value. My all-inclusive in Cancun wasn't serving food half this good and it wasn't any cheaper...

After dinner we hung around on the beach for a while and then in our room. Then we went to the buffet around 9:00 so I could get some more protein. I ate a lot of turkey while my wife found some big shrimp or something and some passion fruit (we think).

Well we have to go relax in order to stay up late enough to visit the disco tonight. I'll tell you if we made it when I blog tomorrow.

It looks like we won't be doing any excursions but I'll let you know about that if we decide for sure.

Is there anything anyone wants to know before I leve Sirenis?

2nd full day at Sirenis Punta Cana experience

Just so you know, I will be taking these various experiences and creating one big huge definitive review of Sirenis Punta Cana. But I don't want to do that while on vacation so I'm just going to keep posting my daily thoughts, kind of like notes for my future big review.

Anyway, our second full day at Sirenis is coming to a close. We left off last night with me about to go to the Chinese restaurant. This was fine, a nice change from the buffets and as far as I know the only place to get duck (roast Pekin duck) at Sirenis. My wife got shrimp with something. The main dishes and deserts were good. The starters were pretty weak as was the rice that came with the main dishes.

I had some noodles cooked in soy sauce (very salty) and my wife had sweet and sour soup (ridiculously salty). The rice was also cooked in soy sauce I think.

But overall the meal was good.

This morning I woke up at 7:00 instead of 7:30 and went straight to the beach. The shade spots closest to the ocean were taken but I easily found some shade. People reserve their spots by putting the hotel beach towels on the lounge chairs they want. I guess these never go missing which is good since the hotel charges 20 ucks if you lose your towel.

I listend to the ocean for a while and then went to the lobby to make reservations. At 7:55 I was the second person on line. 10 minutes later, there were more like 25 people on line...

The steakhouse was already booked up. Clearly you have to book in advance (you can book 3 days in advance) to eat at the steakhouse. This means you'll have no choice but the buffet at least once during your trip. That's beacause you can only make one reservation each day. So for example, if it's Monday and I make reservations at the steakhouse for Tuesday, I can't make any reservations for Monday night because I've used my reservation for the day.

Now the hotel management knows I'm doing this review, so they are letting me bend the rules a bit so that I can review as many restaurants as possible for my readers. But eating at the buffet is fine - I always enjoy it.

Anyway, tomorrow I'll tell you if the steakhouse is worth the trouble. When I found out it was booked for today, I chose the seafood restaurant instead. We had a good meal there tonight. I don't actually like seafood so I tried the only non-seafood choices: beef carpaccio and stuffed chicken breast. Both were good. My wife had Spanish style octopus which she said tasted more like scallops. She liked it though.

Before and after the seafood restaurant we were in the buffet as my wife is on a mission to eat all the mango in the Dominican Republic.

Tonight we might try out the resort's entertainment (a theatrical performance of dirty dancing) and or go night swimming. I don't know if it's officially allowed but we did see one couple swimming at night and there doesn't seem to be anyone there to stop you.

Interestingly, there never is anyone there - no lifeguards at all at the pools or the ocean. Lots of seemingly unupervised children too.

Another note about the pools / ocean is that since the resort is so popular with Europeans you see several women (not most but a few) going topless.

Anyway, I'm nearly out of batteries on my laptop so I'll have to continue tomorrow.

1st full day at Sirenis Punta Cana experience

Sirenis is definitely growing on me. Last night I was talking about the key for the room's safe. Well they gave me the wrong one originally, sent me back with the wrong one when I complained, then the third time they admitted that the keys were all messed up and I couldn't get the right one until tomorrow morning.

So now I have the right one, but I paid for 6 nights of safe key and I'm only getting 5. I don't think I'll waste valuable vacation time complaining, but the fact that they didn't offer me a refund speaks volumes.

But like I said, Sirenis is growing on me. When we arrived last night we had to kill 5 or 6 mosquitoes in our room, but we haven't gotten any bites so that's a positive.

Our day started with a wake up call and a trip down to the beach to get a spot in the shade. At 8:00 AM the best spots were taken, but we did find a nice spot with shade. It was fairly far back on the beach so we couldn't see the meeting the sand, but I pretty much slept and read all day anyway.

After securing the spot on the beach, I sorted out the safety deposit box stuff I mentioned. Then we got on line to make reservations at one of the restaurants.

We figured that getting a reservation would be easy since last night none of them looked really crowded. But at 8:40 AM the steak house was all booked so we ended up in the Chinese place. I'm going there in a few minutes at 9:30.

Then we ate breakfast. The buffet was fine and they had custom made eggs. My wife went to the beach while I went to the gym. The gym is OK, but the equipment isn't impressive (it works and everything - it's just not as nice as a modern gym with new equipment) and there's not that much of it.

After the workout, I showered and hit the beach. We also did some swimming in the ocean and the pool. The pool gets crowded in places but it is huge and has 2 swim up bars.

We had lunch in a restaurant by the pool - this was a small buffet. Then we went back to the pool and the beach. We also tried out the spa (the water in the whirlpool type things wasn't too hot which is great for me. We hung out there until it was snack time at 4:00. Then we did some more swimming, laying out on the beach, jogging on the beach, etc.

At 7:30 we had another snack at the buffet. And now we're just killing time (well I'm blogging) until our reservations at the Chinese restaurant at 9:30.

I've left out plenty of details but I do have to go eat soon. Anyway, I like the food. It's not the best I've ever had but there are lots of good choices. And I like that I can eat any time. I believe there's at least one place to eat open 24 hours a day.

I also like swimming in the pool and relaxing on the beach. I still haven't decided if I'll recommend Sireins or not. I mean you should be able to enjoy the pool and beach pretty much anywhere.

And I just remembered that I left a note for housekeeping to leave extra bottled water in our fridge. The note is gone and I only got 4 little bottles of water - not nearly enough. I'm thinking I might not leave a tip since I now have to go track down more bottled water from somewhere...

After I go try the Chinese food. More tomorrow!

First impression of Sirenis Resort in Punta Cana

This will be a fairly short entry because I'm really struggling with the weak WiFi connection here at Sirenis in Punta Cana. I'm in the spacious lobby (which has 2 bars) since there is no internet access in the room.

First impressions here at Sirenis were mediocre, although to be fair we had already been stressed out a bit before arriving several hours late (there is a critical review of Spirit Airlines coming soon).

When we checked in, they wanted to charge us for 7 days even though we're staying for 6 nights. It took a really long time (even though their English was fine) to straighten that out. Strange.

First, and they didn't tell me this over email when I made reservations, I had to pay $60 for a taxi from the airport to the hotel because we didn't have a voucher. Apparently some tours or packages give you vouchers for a taxi from the airport to the hotel. My all-inclusive rate didn't include transportation.

This would be an important thing to warn people. I mean I don't usually have $200 cash on me but luckily for me I did this time. We had to pay $10 each to enter Dominican Republic. Then $60 for the taxi. It will be another $60 from the resort to the airport. Then at the airport it costs $20 each to leave the country.

This is all cash only and I'm told there's no ATM at the airport. Sure you could walk to a bank or maybe one of the stores here at the resort has an ATM. But I wasn't expecting to need $180 in addition to what I spent on airfare and the all inclusive and I'm lucky I had it on me or I'd certainly be stressed out about it.

All-inclusive also didn't include the key for the safety deposit box in the room. I paid $12 and am now trying to get the stupid thing to work...

The room itself is spacious, but we've already killed 5 mosquitoes in just a few minutes in there. Housekeeping is supposed to spray it tomorrow morning at 8:15. I think that's included at least...

The resort itself seems really nice. There's a great big pool area and everything is nice and peaceful. It's active, but not too crowded - I think this is the offseason. I've heard lots of European languages and accents and so far I think I'm the only American I've seen here at Sirenis.

Impressively, the people at the front desk who couldn't get my 6 nights / 7 days figured out spoke at least English and French.

The buffet is open to 11:00 PM, so even though I ate myself silly at 7:30 I'm going back for more. The food is good but not spectacular at the buffet. The specialty restaurants didn't seem crowded so I guess making reservations for them tomorrow morning will be no trouble.

I'll write more tomorrow.

More reasons to hate Spirit Airlines

Most of you know why I hate Spirit Airlines. But now I have another reason.

To check in a bag (pretty much a necessity since you can't take so many things in carry-on) you have to pay $20 each way, $10 if you do it in advance online.

Naturally I prefer $10, so for the last few days I've been trying to register a checked bag online. But Spirit Air's website is broken and all I get is the following message:

Spirit Airlines is currently unable to retrieve the baggage inventory available for this itinerary. You can still get advance-purchase checked bags before your flight(s). Just log in to My Reservations any time up to one day prior to your departure date. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

So it looks like I'll be forced to pay for the checked bag at check in. I wonder if they'll charge me the full $20 for not doing the impossible (I must have tried 5-10 times over the past 2 days) and using their website to take care of the baggage in advance...

U.S. Airlines having their worst summer for delays - tips for finding flights that arrive on time

If you have flown this summer, you may have experienced delays or canceled flights. In fact, airlines in the U.S. are having what is considered to be their worst summer in terms of delayed and canceled flights. The average delay this summer is apparently around 51 minutes – five minutes longer than the same time last summer.

American Airlines has had one of the worst records for delays, mainly because of the weather in the Dallas area – American has its largest hub in Dallas/Fort Worth. In fact, the period from May 1st to June 30th was the wettest period at the airport since 1898 with almost 20 inches of rain.

Sometimes it seems the airlines can’t win – they are just as vulnerable to potential bad weather during the winter months in hubs such as Chicago, Minneapolis and New York. Some airlines are making it a little bit easier to assist passengers affected by hurricanes as well – American introduced a “hurricane policy” last week which offers more options and flexibility to passengers whose flight is canceled in the event of a hurricane.

There may be some relief in sight. The FAA has devised a plan to restructure the airspace over the major airports on the east coast – a move that would supposedly reduce delays by about 20%.

It’s even difficult to define a delay – officially a flight is delayed if it arrives more than 15 minutes from its scheduled arrival time. Airlines also tend to adjust their schedules or “stretch” the flying time to ensure that flights will arrive within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.

There are some things you can do to minimize air travel delays. Firstly, you can obtain statistics on how often a particular flight is delayed. All airline reservations agents have this information and must supply it when asked. (The Department of Transportation imposes big fines on the airlines if they don’t tell you this when asked) For example, the airline may tell you that the 11am flight from Chicago to Miami arrives on time between 71% and 80% of the time).

Experts also advise that you avoid connecting flights if possible, and book yourself on a flight early in the day. The early flights out are generally less prone to delays – which tend to occur later in the day, especially during the summer in the form of late afternoon or evening thunderstorms. That way, there’s more chance of you – and your bags – making it on time.

Only another few weeks of summer to go – before we know it, all the delays will be caused by winter weather!

Gues entry by Mancunian

Related entry: Are US Airlines broken?

Speaking of flying, in two days I have a 6:40 AM flight with Spirit Air from New York to Punta Cana (via Miami). Wish me luck!