Travel plan idea blog

JetBlue's cruise sweepstakes

JetBlue has a sweepstakes for 10 free cruises. I didn't know JetBlue was heavily invested in the cruise industry and I guess the point of their sweepstakes is to get the word out.We're celebrating JetBlue's 10th Anniversary by giving away...

Posted by Jim on July 23, 2010 11:03 PM

Family vacation ideas in North America: North Carolina, Delaware, & Quebec

Question: I'm looking for help with a relatively inexpensive vacation for the family. Wife, kids 5 and 3. My wife wants to go on a cruise, but frankly we can't really afford that (could if we wanted to be really...

Posted by Jim on May 13, 2010 8:02 AM

Yachting - Careers At Sea

Many of us, at one time or another, will look for something different in the way of employment, to escape from the tedium of paying rent, fighting traffic and crowds, and just managing to get by on a paycheck that...

Posted by Jim on April 14, 2010 9:10 PM

Should Royal Caribbean ships dock in Haiti?

Interesting article here. Some people think it's wrong to dock in Haiti in light of the recent disaster. Yet Haiti needs all the help it can get and the cruise ships do carry food aid and give Haiti money.The decision...

Posted by Jim on January 19, 2010 2:30 AM

Interesting Themed Cruises / New Year's Traditions

Guest entry from Mancunian We have all heard of themed cruises of course, but a new idea seems to have really taken off. According to this article, a California based singles travel company has organized the first cougar cruise (apparently...

Posted by Jim on December 15, 2009 10:49 PM

Oasis of the Seas charges $1,650/person for inside rooms in December

So a while back I got invited by Royal Caribbean to try out Liberty of the Seas. I was in Korea so i sent my parents. Royal Caribbean has not invited me back so it may be a while before...

Posted by Jim on December 6, 2009 1:16 AM

2 more pictures from the Bermuda cruise: Catamaran sunset cruise shore excursion

This was the view we got when heading out for the sunset cruise catamaran shore excursion. When we arrived in Bermuda, we had a note that one of our shore excursions had been canceled and moved to another day....

Posted by Jim on September 8, 2009 10:55 AM

Summer vacation taking shape: Costa Rica, LARPing, and NCL cruise

My semester ends on June 19th. I need some time for grading and I have to present a paper at a conference in Seoul July 3rd and 4th. Then I have to judge a speech contest July 17th and 18th....

Posted by Jim on April 10, 2009 11:32 PM

Disney travel advice needed

Question: I'm planning on heading down to Orlando sometime in late-September/early-October for about five days and plan on focusing the major portion of the trip on the Disney parks. I haven't been in nearly 15 years and, last time I...

Posted by Jim on March 27, 2009 10:24 PM

Know of any repo cruises in July, August, January, or February

I don't have a lot for you today. I taught from 9-3 (I do half my classes on Tuesday) and then had to hang around the school for a staff dinner so I put in an extra long day. But...

Posted by Jim on March 17, 2009 10:23 PM

Park West reminder, Mexico vacation deals

First, a reminder that I have someone at Park West who will answer our questions. I've only got one so far so please add a few if there's anything you ever wanted to know about buying art (especially on a...

Posted by Jim on February 27, 2009 12:47 AM

Travel with autistic children: cruises and more

This article talks about a Royal Caribbean cruise designed for families where one or more of the kids has autism. They also mention camping in Colorado and a resort in Vermont. But just because a tour operator tries to provide...

Posted by Jim on September 16, 2008 1:29 AM

NCL cruise to Alaska comprehensive review: Norwegian Pearl July 6-13

I recommend a cruise to Alaska for people who want to get an introduction to Alaska. It's probably best for people who are willing to experience whatever they get because what you're able to do on a cruise has a...

Posted by Jim on July 22, 2008 12:57 PM

Park West Gallery art auctions on cruise ships

When I talked to the 2 Park West people on the Norwegian Pearl, they told me that Park West Gallery is the biggest art dealer in the world and they got that huge by bringing art to the people. Park...

Posted by Jim on July 20, 2008 8:16 AM

One & Only Ocean Club Bahamas: how is it?

If you want to see celebrities on vacation, one possibility might be the One & Only Ocean Club in the Bahamas on Paradise Island. I'm told that it was featured in the opening scene of Casino Royale and that Julia...

Posted by Jim on June 22, 2008 3:36 PM

School got it right for this woman

The woman featured in this story got something unusual - good advice in high school about a future career: "I always wanted to travel and the careers adviser at school suggested I become a travel agent - since then it's...

Posted by Jim on May 3, 2008 11:47 PM

Mobil travel guide, a few deals, cruise talk

I had never heard of Mobil Travel Guide before reading this article, but the author recommends the guide, which seems to be pretty exclusive: "A total of 41 lodgings, 17 restaurants and three spas earned five stars from Mobil." I...

Posted by Jim on March 17, 2008 12:21 PM

ABC vacation deals

This article comes in two flavors, video and regular article. The article part is set up kind of weird so I liked the video better but the information is the same: Apple Vacations tour of Los Cabos, Mexico 3 night...

Posted by Jim on March 12, 2008 1:56 PM

Reader submitted question about Atlantis Coral Tower Paradise

My fiancé and I are trying to book a vacation in the Caribbean for about 4-5 days flying from NYC. I'm looking at waterview room for 2 of us Atlantis Coral Tower Paradise Island at the end of May for...

Posted by Jim on March 12, 2008 4:55 AM

Nickelodeon Family Cruise on Freedom of the Seas

We wrote about Freedom of the Seas a while back and now there is a special cruise on this same ship. The Nickelodeon Family Cruise has famous guests like Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants. This article calls it the...

Posted by Jim on February 19, 2008 10:35 AM