Continuing in the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the European Cruise Council today announced that the cruise industry has adopted three new safety policies which are to be implemented with immediate effect.  The announcement was made by Chairman of the European Cruise Council (ECC) and Member of the CLIA Executive Committee, Manfredi Lefebvre.

The three policies govern:
1)    Passage Planning – Although cruise lines have followed IMO guidance on passage planning for many years, our policy now deems this to be a mandatory minimum requirement and enhanced by endorsement of the best practices contained in the International Chamber of Shipping’s Bridge Procedures Guide.  Furthermore, under this policy each passage plan is to be thoroughly briefed to all bridge team members well in advance of its implementation and it is to be drafted by a designated officer and approved by the master.

2)    Personnel Access To The Bridge - To minimize unnecessary disruptions and distractions on the bridge, we have adopted a policy that bridge access is to be limited to those with operational functions during any period of restricted maneuvering or when increased vigilance is required.

3)    Lifejackets – In addition to the statutory requirement of carriage of lifejackets for each person onboard, we have adopted a policy of carrying additional adult lifejackets onboard each cruise ship in excess of these legal requirements so that the number of additional adult lifejackets to be provided must not be less than the total number of persons berthed within the ship’s most populated main vertical fire zone.  This ensures that the number of lifejackets carried is far in excess of the number of persons actually onboard the ship.

This is on the heals of two other sets of safety policies roll out earlier this year.

In addition to more lifejackets, a previous new policy on  emergency drill policy requiring a mandatory muster for embarking passengers prior to departure from port.

The new muster policy, which has been voluntarily initiated by the associations’ members and is effective immediately, exceeds existing legal requirements by calling for the mandatory muster of all embarking passengers prior to departure from port. On rare occasions when passengers arrive after the muster has been completed, passengers will be promptly provided with individual or group safety briefings that meet the requirements for musters applicable under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The formal policy is designed to help ensure that any mandatory musters or briefings are conducted for the benefit of all newly embarked passengers at the earliest practical opportunity.

Musters are mandatory exercises conducted on cruise ships to ensure passengers are informed of safety protocols while onboard the ship, including emergency evacuation procedures. Current legal requirements for conducting a muster of passengers can be found in SOLAS and mandate that a muster occur within 24 hours of passenger embarkation.

What do you think?  Will these new safety standards make you feel safer on a cruise?

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/cruise-line-industry-rolls-out-new-safety-standards/

Would you want to be able to use Facebook to pick your seatmate on an airline flight?

I suppose in some ways this might be creepy.  On the other hand, if you were flying to a big conference, it might be interesting to sit with folks who might be attending the same conference.

KLM launched Meet & Seat on 3 February, making it the first airline to integrate social networking in its regular flight process. Passengers with a reservation can easily see who else will be on board via their Facebook or LinkedIn accounts.

Erik Varwijk, Managing Director KLM: “The new service was developed in cooperation with our customers. Following its success during the first month, we’re seeing a demand for the service on new routes. Meet & Seat is primarily used by business travelers for networking. The ten new destinations lend themselves perfectly for this.”

Here’s How KLM’s Meet & Seat Works

If you have booked a KLM flight on one of the pilot sights:

1. Go to KLM.com and log in to Manage my Booking.
2. Go to the ‘Seating’ tab and click ‘Meet & Seat’ on the right.
3. Log in to your Facebook or LinkedIn account.
4. Select the profile details you want to share with other passengers and add your travel details.

The seat map will show you other passengers’ profile details and which seat they have chosen. You can select your seat – for example next to someone with similar interests.

What do you think?  What to use Facebook to choose your airline seatmate?

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/want-to-pick-your-airline-seatmate-on-facebook/

Nearly everyone love mystery and suspense.  But what about a vacation where you have no idea where you’re going?

Sound intriguing?

There has been a growing trend in what is being called mystery travel.  Those seriously bent on mystery, suspense, and the unknown are forking over thousands of dollars to travel to…well…they have no idea.

One of the most popular is the NEXTPEDITION by American Express Travel.

American Express Travel offers consumers the exciting opportunity to take a vacation where the destination and itinerary are unknown until the actual journey begins and is revealed day by day via a customized Smartphone. The “mystery trip” is customized to reflect the traveler’s personality traits, providing an opportunity for him or her to explore the world in an unexpected and intuitive way.

NEXTPEDITION offers both domestic and international itineraries in a variety of price points, for solo or group travel. Domestic trips start at $1,000, and international trips start at $2,500, with a minimum 7-day travel requirement and based on two people traveling.

You can now buy a mystery vacation package to heaven knows where!

Another company called Magical Mystery Tours has travelers set a few parameters (budget, dates, etc.) and  travelers don’t learn their destination until they arrive at the airport.

With a little different twist, PacificIslands.com is selling mystery $5,000 vacations for $1,000 in places like Tahiti, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, and the Cook Islands.

To participate in the Mystery Vacation Sale, adventurous travelers need to register on the Mystery Vacation Sale website. Two days prior to the sale date, every registered participant receives an email containing a phone number, and telling them when they need to call. At the appointed time, the first four callers are able to purchase a $5,000 vacation-for-two for only $1,000. But there’s a catch… They can choose their travel date, but they don’t know where they’re going until two weeks before travel.

There are sixteen vacation packages offered through the Mystery sale promotion. All 16 packages can be viewed on the Mystery Vacation Sale website. There are 4 rounds of the Mystery Sale, with four Mystery Vacation Packages in each round. Everyone who’s registered is automatically re-entered for the next round of Mystery Sale, too. Registration is free.

We’d love to hear your thought on this.

Share with us in the comments section below: would you go on a mystery vacation to an unknown destination?

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/mystery-travel-packages-destination-unknow/

click map for large view

According to the U.S. Department of State, Mexico is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

It attracted 21.3 million international tourists in 2010, making it the tenth-most popular international destination in terms of arrivals.

Further, approximately 10 million Americans visit Mexico each year.

But is it safe to travel to Mexico?

On February 8, 2012, the U.S. Department of State issued a new statement regarding its travel advisory to Americans:

“Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day.  The Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist destinations, and there is no evidence that Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) have targeted U.S. visitors and residents based on their nationality.  Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes.”

The warning pulls no punches in describing some of the extreme dangers that befall Americans traveling in some parts of Mexico:

“According to the most recent homicide figures published by the Mexican government, 47,515 people were killed in narcotics-related violence in Mexico between December 1, 2006 and September 30, 2011, with 12,903 narcotics-related homicides in the first nine months of 2011 alone.  While most of those killed in narcotics-related violence have been members of TCOs, innocent persons have also been killed.  The number of U.S. citizens reported to the Department of State as murdered in Mexico increased from 35 in 2007 to 120 in 2011.”

You’re more likely to die driving your car than visiting Mexico’s resort areas.

However, a quick scan of the report and a peek at a map of the United Mexican States, reveals that most of the trouble occurs primarily in states that border the U.S.  Consider the Department’s statements regarding Baja California:

“Baja California (north): Tijuana is a major city/travel destination in the Northern portion of Baja California: You should exercise caution in the northern state of Baja California, particularly at night.  Targeted TCO assassinations continue to take place in Baja California.  Turf battles between criminal groups proliferated and resulted in numerous assassinations in areas of Tijuana frequented by U.S. citizens.  Shooting incidents, in which innocent bystanders have been injured, have occurred during daylight hours throughout the city.  In one such incident, an U.S. citizen was shot and seriously wounded.  According to the Government of Mexico, as of August 2011, the city’s murder rate was approximately 20 per 100,000.  During 2011, 34 U.S. citizens were the victims of homicide in the state.  In the majority of these cases, the killings appeared to be related to narcotics trafficking.

Baja California (South): Cabo San Lucas is a major city/travel destination in the Southern portion of Baja California: No advisory is in effect.”

As you can see, travel to Tijuana come with a warning, where travel to Cabo San Lucas bears “no advisory”.

When you look at the facts, it would seem that you are more likely to die driving in your automobile than you are visiting one of the beautiful resort areas of Mexico.

I don’t know about you, but we’ve got our eyes on a visit to Cabo San Lucas.

What are your thoughts about travel safety in Mexico?  Share your comments below.

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: <a href=”http://www.theroamingboomers.com/is-it-safe-to-travel-to-mexico/

Note: click photo for large view

Google’s new Hotel Finder tool just might make life a little easier for luxury boomer travelers.

Let’s say you are planning a trip to New York City and you want to find a 5-Star hotel within 15-minutes walking distance of Times Square.

Google’s new Hotel Finder will help you do exactly that.

When using the Hotel Finder tool, you type in a particular tourist attraction, and the tool will allow you to sort by:

• Price
• Hotel Class
• Price compared to usual
• Travel time (by foot or car)
• Price/night
• User ratings

After setting the particular filters you desire, the Hotel Finder tool will then display a list of hotels.  With a simple click of your mouse, you can view pictures and information about a particular hotel.  If you like a particular hotel, you can then add it to your “short list” for further comparison.

Once you’ve made a decision to stay at a particular hotel, you can then book it through Expedia, Priceline, Hotels.com, or the hotels site.

Give it a try, and let us know what you think!

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El Malecon Boardwalk in Havana Cuba

Until recently, it has been illegal for U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba since the 1962 trade embargo put into place by President John F. Kennedy

The only travel allowed between the two countries was primarily limited to Cuban-Americans, research trips for professional and academic research, and humanitarian or religious mission trips.

While travel to Cuba is still not legal for the average American tourist, last year President Obama made it possible for limited numbers of people to legally travel to Cuba through “people-to-people” educational travel programs.

In that spirit, professional photographers Tod O’Driscoll and Otto von Munchow invite you to join them on an intimate 8 Day Cuban Photographic Journey on April 16-23, 2012 (travel provided by Insight Cuba).

Join an 8-Day Cuban Photographic Journey!

As part of this people-to-people exchange, group participants will meet and get to know Cubans from all different walks of life.  Participants, through an English speaking Cuban guide,  will learn about Cuban history, culture, and the joys, triumphs, and every day struggles of the Cuban people.

From Tod and Otto:

“Get acquainted with the romantic city of Havana and its people through interactions with the residents, visiting communities, sharing stories and experiences.

After falling in love with Havana, it’s on to Cienfuegos, commonly referred to as “The Pearl of the South”, before settling in to soak up Trinidad’s colonial charm. While here, you’ll walk the cobblestoned streets, mingling with the residents while absorbing the history of this wondrous region. Set amongst the Sierra del Escambray Mountains to the north, where coffee plantations dominate, and the turquoise blue Caribbean Sea to the south, you’ll take in the beauty of the area, and won’t want to leave!

Each day on the tour, you will go out with your camera to meet Cubans from various walks of life, and you will be able to hear their stories about their lives, their customs, and their country. You will also see the beautiful architecture, be seduced by the infectious Cuban music, and take in the stunning landscapes.”

Highlights of the tour include:

• A walking tour of Old Havana’s colonial streets and squares
• Visiting a Cuban cigar factory
• Meeting Cuban photographers
• Touring Cienfuegos (the “Paris of Cuba) and visiting a Cuban artist colony
• Meeting Cuban musicians
• Touring the Miramar neighborhood of Havana
• Meeting Cuban artists
• Exploring colonial Trinidad
• Visiting the Sugar Mills Valley

What’s included:

• 4 or 5-star accommodations in Havana
• All meals (as outlined in the itinerary)
• Days full of guided activities
• U.S. Treasury Department License and Letter of Authorization
• A Cuban host (travel guide)
• All entrance fees to scheduled activities and events
• All in-country ground transportation and transfers
• Travel health insurance, emergency medical evacuation, and trip cancellation coverage (up to $1,000)
• Insight Cuba Travel Handbook
• 24-hour emergency service

What’s not included:

• Flights to and from Miami, and international flights to and from Havana are not included in cost of the program (prices to Havana vary depending on the season, but can range from $400 up to $600+)
• $50 visa charge
• $20 Fed Ex charge
• $50 Administration fee
• This cost also does not include any fees to be paid to Fototecha (the Cuban Photographers group we will be meeting with).
• $25 Cuban departure tax
• Tips for your guide, driver, chambermaids, bell hops and waiters are not included in the program fee.
• Any optional event that requires an admission fee such as museums, night clubs, a baseball game, etc.
• Beverages or snacks which are not part of a meal (i.e., a beverage or snack purchased between meals).
• Individual transportation within Cuba for optional activities.
• All expenses of a personal nature such as room service, phone, mini-bar, laundry, internet access, etc.
• Any excess baggage charges.
• Cost of obtaining a passport.
• Any additional cost(s) not included in the itinerary.

Instructors: Tod O’Driscoll and Otto von Munchow

Tod O’Driscoll is an award winning photographer with twenty two years experience. He has an M.A. in Photography, and his work has taken him all over the U.S., as well as to Mexico, Europe and Africa. His fine art, documentary, and event photography have all been awarded top honors in various regional, national and international competitions over the years, and his work has been published by corporations, universities and print and web publications.

Otto von Munchow is a documentary photographer based in Bergen, Norway. In 1989, he studied at the International Center of Photography in New York City, where he assisted acclaimed documentary photographer Mary Ellen Mark. Since then, he has photographed in Africa, the Ukraine, Thailand, Norway, Cuba, and all over Europe. His work has been published in many print and web publications. He first visited Cuba in 1991, and has returned many times since then, as he loves Cuba and the Cuban people.

Cost of the trip is $3,695 (double occupancy). A single supplement is an additional $300 per each single room request. A deposit of $600 is required to reserve your place on the trip.

For more info. on the trip (including pricing details, etc.), please visit: www.phototourscuba.com.  To reserve your place, please call: (206) 948-9481 or (480) 313-8121, or email: odriscollphoto@msn.com

This program is organized and operated by Insight Cuba. Insight Cuba has been issued a specific license by The Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, which authorizes registered guests of their programs to visit Cuba legally.

This trip sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.  As a photographer, and a lover of unique travel experiences, this trip would definitely merit our personal consideration if we weren’t already committed to other travel during the time of this excursion.

Disclosure:  this information is brought to you as a sponsored post paid for by World Photo Tours.

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.

The AAA Four and Five Diamond lists are one of our “go to” lists when we are deciding which properties to visit and share with you our readers and subscribers.

One of the great missions of our website is to peruse these lists on your behalf, go visit, and bring you back a report filled with lush photography, videos, and more.

Here’s a recent press release that we hope might spark a few travel ideas in your mind.

If so, be certain to head to our Facebook page and share some of your pictures.

ORLANDO, Fla., (Jan. 20, 2012) – AAA announced today the 126 lodgings and 53 restaurants that earned the AAA/CAA Five Diamond Award® designation for 2012. These select establishments represent just 0.3 percent of the total 59,000 AAA/CAA Approved and Diamond Rated lodgings and restaurants.

Of note among the 16 new additions for 2012 are first-ever Five Diamond establishments for Rhode Island and Antigua. In the restaurant category, New York tops the list for growth with three new Five Diamond establishments. California is the only state to grow in both categories, with two additional lodgings and one restaurant.

The Roaming Boomers help you decide which of these properties to visit with our lush video and photographic reports!

During the past year, eight Five Diamond restaurants closed their doors, at least temporarily. “This 15 percent drop illustrates the speed at which the concept of luxury dining is shifting in response to the economy, changing diner preferences and a corporate redefining of acceptable luxury levels for business reimbursement,” said Michael Petrone, director, AAA Tourism Information Development. “Today the service style is more casual, with a greater focus on providing a high-quality, individualized, value-focused experience. The addition of seven Five Diamond restaurants reflects the rebound that began for this segment during the latter half of 2011.”

AAA’s professional inspectors, ideally positioned to observe emerging hospitality trends, noted other changes in store for 2012. For hotels, a prevalent trend is creating a home-away-from-home environment, according to AAA inspectors. Another growth area is “smarter” hotel rooms that learn guests’ habits as they use a central remote to control everything from heating and air to lights, curtains, music and wakeup calls. In the restaurant industry, prevailing themes include more natural ingredients, locally sourced foods and healthier meal options. These include rustic fare — simple dishes with fresh ingredients — made in-house and new twists on comfort foods such as a “dusting” of dried, powdered fruits or vegetables to add texture and flavor, rather than heavy sauces.

“Five Diamond lodgings feature extraordinary physical attributes and meticulous personalized attention, and Five Diamond restaurants feature world-class service and imaginative menu selections using the finest ingredients,” said Petrone. “It is an amazing accomplishment to achieve and maintain this level of quality and service, and AAA is pleased to honor these properties with a Five Diamond Rating.”

New AAA Five Diamond Lodgings:

ARIA Sky Suites, Las Vegas, Nev.

The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, S.C.

Jumby Bay, A Rosewood Resort, Jumby Bay, Antigua (pictured above)

Mandarin Oriental, Miami, Fla.

Montage Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Ocean House, Watch Hill, R.I.

The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Calif.

The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The St. Regis Houston, Houston, Texas

New Five Diamond Restaurants:

Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Tarrytown, N.Y.

Del Posto, New York, N.Y.

Herons Restaurant, Cary, N.C. (in the Umstead Hotel & Spa)

The Kitchen Restaurant, Sacramento, Calif.

Marea, New York, N.Y.

Menton, Boston, Mass.

Restaurant Initiale, Québec, Canada

Noteworthy for 2012:

Three lodgings have maintained the Five Diamond Rating for 36 consecutive years – since 1976 when AAA first introduced the Diamond Ratings for accommodations: The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., and JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The restaurant with the longest Five Diamond tenure, 24 consecutive years, since 1988, is The Inn at Little Washington Dining Room in Washington, Va.

Continuing a 75-year tradition, AAA’s professionally trained inspectors use published guidelines to conduct unannounced property evaluations. AAA rates more properties than any other rating entity and is the only rating system that covers the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. It is one of only two that conduct physical, on-site evaluations, assigning AAA/CAA Approved lodgings and restaurants One to Five AAA Diamonds. Travelers can access information about AAA inspections and Diamond Ratings at AAA.com/Diamonds.

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.

We created The Roaming Boomers® in 2010 with the hopes that we might create an informative website that would encourage baby boomers to pack their bags and explore this beautiful world of ours.

On January 3rd, 2011, we were greatly honored to have our labors recognized with a front page report in the business section of the Arizona Republic.

We also found ourselves making regular personal appearances on various television lifestyle programs sharing our travel experiences and tips.

This was a wonderful shot in the arm and brought a great many new “roaming boomers” to our website.

Let us share with you some of the remarkable places we took our readers in 2011…

Travel Guide – Sedona, Arizona

We started our 2011 travel season by taking our readers to Sedona, Arizona.  With Sedona only 90 miles down the road from our home, we’ve amassed quite a bit of wonderful travel information for you to explore.

Click here to view our features on Sedona, Arizona…

Travel Guide – Scottsdale, Arizona

Living in Scottsdale, Arizona, a travel destination in its own right, we spent a great deal of the month of January sharing our own backyard with our readers.

We have produced scores of travel information on resorts, restaurants, hiking, museums, and much more.  We are certainly experts on travel in Scottsdale and invite you to spend some time in our informative videos, browse our beautiful photography, and learn about the wonderful experiences awaiting you in Scottsdale.

Click here to view our features on Scottsdale, Arizona…

Travel Guide – Hawaii, the Big Island and the Island of Kauai

February found us in Hawaii.

Unquestionably, Hawaii tops the bucket list of many a baby boomer.  Knowing this, we have made it our mission to bring our readers to Hawaii each year.  We have produced videos, photographic slide shows, restaurant reviews, and scores of other helpful information to make your visit to Hawaii unforgettable.

Click here to view our features on Hawaii…

Spring Break – Miami Beach, Florida

In March, we decided to do Spring Break in Miami Beach, boomer style.

We brought our readers to the world-renowned Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa to enjoy the beach, learn some healthy habits, and take in some of the beautiful Latin culture.

Click here to view our features on Miami Beach…

A Baby Boomer Road Trip

April’s adventure was a road trip with friends from Michigan.

Here, we brought our readers along on a journey that made stops in Sedona, Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, driving through the Painted Desert, a few nights in Sante Fe, New Mexico, and ended with a wonderful stay at Hidden Meadows Ranch in Arizona’s White Mountains.

Check out our features on Santa Fe, New Mexico…

Delta Vacations Sponsors our Trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic

In May, we were off to Punta Cana.

As our website has grown in influence, we’ve found that major travel organizations find it valuable to sponsor our travel to various locations to expose our readership to their travel services.  Therefore, we were able to take our readers to spend five glorious nights at Tortuga Bay Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

We flew first class with Delta Vacations Luxury Lifestyle Collection.  Wow!

Check out our features from Tortuga Bay Punta Cana…

Travel Guide to the Canadian Rockies

June was a very busy month of travel.

First, we brought our readers along on a glorious two-week journey of the Canadian Pacific and the Canadian Rockies.  We visited all of the historic Fairmont hotels in Whistler, Jasper, Vancouver, Lake Louise, and Banff.  We also spent two-days upon the world-famous luxury train: the Rocky Mountaineer.  Furthermore, we rode monstrous vehicles on glaciers, saw grizzly bears, and indescribable mountain views driving down the Icefields Parkway in the Canadian Rockies.

Check out our features on Canada…

Alaska’s Inside Passage Cruise with Norwegian Cruise Lines

In late June, we were back in the Pacific Northwest for an Alaskan Cruise.

An Alaskan cruise is found in the top ten “wish list” of every baby boomer traveler.  After this experience, we clearly understand and can’t recommend it highly enough.

You must go on an Alaskan cruise!

Check out our features on Alaska…

Travel Guide – Seattle, Washington

This was the summer of the Northwest as July found us back in Seattle, Washington.

We love Seattle and brought our readers a week full of adventures to explore.

Check out our features on Seattle, Washington…

Traveling to Tucson and Tubac, Arizona

In August, we stayed close to home and brought our readers to the famous Canyon Ranch in Tucson and then to Tubac, Arizona to enjoy a few nights at the Tubac Golf Resort and Spa with four friends from the Scottsdale area.

Check out our features on Tucson, and  here’s our features from  Tubac…

Hangin’ at the AARP National Convention

In September, we slowed our pace to catch up on all the articles that we had to get posted to our website.

However, we did take time out to visit our friends at the AARP National Convention in Los Angeles.    Here’s a photograph I snapped of Lionel Ritchie from our stage-front seats.

Travel Guides – Santa Barbara and Paso Robles, California

In October, we journeyed with our readers to Santa Barbara and Paso Robles, California.

We shared our nation’s only AAA Five-Diamond Bed & Breakfast (The Simpson House Inn), and scoured the California Central Coast for some of their best wineries.  It’s hard work, I know, but somebody’s got to do it.  Right?

Here’s our features on Santa Barbara, and here’s our features on Paso Robles.

Wine Tasting in Napa Valley, California

While we seemed to be on a wine tasting roll, November found us taking our readers for a little wine tasting in Napa Valley.

As of this writing, we haven’t prepared all of our Napa Valley features, but be certain to check this link and follow our progress.

Travel Guide for Catalina Island

For December we journeyed to Catalina Island off the coast of California.

As of this writing, we have yet to post any of this content to our website, but trust me, you’ll want to come back.  We stayed in a Wrigley mansion, watched beautiful sea life from a submarine, toured the island in a Hummer, enjoyed fabulous cuisine, buzzed around the town of Avalon in a golf cart, and much more.

Travel Destinations for 2012

As you can see, we were very busy bringing exciting destinations and experiences to our readers in 2011.

However, we’re pinching ourselves as we consider what’s in store for 2012.

We’re headed back to Hawaii, going across the pond to London, taking our first Mediterranean cruise, as well as heading to the South Pacific to explore Bora Bora, and much, much more.

Stay tuned, and for heaven’s sake, get out here and join us!

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.

The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has gotten a lot of rotten tomatoes thrown their way since airport screening has become a way of life for American travelers.

We’ve heard tales of little old ladies being groped, long security lines in our airports, and imaging devices that threaten to make glowing radioactive night-lights of all of us.

In spite of all the negative press, perhaps we should all be thankful for what the TSA is removing from our nation’s airplanes.

Just look at what was found this week by the TSA:

“An artfully concealed non-metallic martial arts weapon called a “Tactical Spike” was found in the sock of a passenger at Pensacola (PNS) after being screened by a body scanner.

In one carry-on bag at Wichita (ICT), TSA Officers discovered a tree saw with a 13-inch blade, a pocketknife with a 3-inch blade, two throwing knives with 8-inch blades, eleven individual 30-06 rifle rounds, one 12-gauge shotgun slug, five count of buckshot, and five boxes, each containing 25 rounds of 12-gauge shotgun shells and a partridge in a pear tree.

In two separate incidents at Los Angeles (LAX) and San Diego (SAN), two sets of three throwing knives were found in carry-on bags.

A total of three inert grenades were found in checked baggage at Salt Lake City (SLT) and Tucson (TUS). They were gifts…

In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly, our Officers also found stun guns, a realistic replica firearm, brass knuckles, a butterfly knife, a gravity assist knife, a collapsible baton, ammunition, firearm components, daggers, throwing knives, a brass knuckle knife, a switchblade, a torch lighter containing a spring loaded knife, a butcher knife, a throwing star, and a cat eye.

On the other hand, there are artfully concealed items… Artfully concealed means that the prohibited item was intentionally concealed with the intention of sneaking it through security:

- A 14” cane sword was discovered at Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW).
– A 3” double edged knife was found concealed as a belt buckle at Los Angeles (LAX).
Our officers found 10 loaded firearms and 3 unloaded firearms in carry-on baggage since I posted last Friday. Here’s a rundown of the 13 firearms our officers kept off of airplanes this week:

12/24: PNS – Loaded .380 w/ round in chamber – LIT – Unloaded .22 – MIA – Loaded 9mm
12/25: ATL – Loaded .32
12/26: SBN – Loaded .380
12/27: DEN – Loaded .380 w/ round in chamber
12/28: GEG – Unloaded 9mm – DFW – Loaded .32 w/ round in chamber – MCI – Loaded 9mm w/ 22 rounds and a round in chamber – DFW – Loaded .22
12/29: DEN – Unloaded .22 – IAH – Loaded .22 – IND – Loaded .32 – DFW – Loaded .380 w/ round in chamber”

How’s this for a New Year’s Resolution: let’s thank the next TSA agent we see for pulling this stuff off of our airplanes.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t care to board a plane with some dude carrying a set of ninja knives.

 Do you?  

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American baby boomer travelers with European wunderlust in their hearts are finally seeing some good news on the financial front.

For years, the strength of the Euro has kept a great many Americans on this side of the pond.  However, with the Euro’s recent weakening against the Dollar, European travel is becoming more affordable.

In 2008, the Euro stood at $1.60 against the Dollar.  Today, the Euro stands at $1.30.

Falling Euro Brings American Travelers a 20% Savings From 2008 Levels!

In 2008, a seven-night European hotel at €400/night cost Americans $4,480.  Today, that same hotel will cost $3,640.  Nearly a 20% savings from 2008 levels.

Now, before you get your European giddiness in high gear, we must also realize that the exchange rate doesn’t take into account any price increases that may have occurred since 2008.  With inflation, that €400 Euro hotel room has certainly seen some upward pricing pressure.

Nonetheless, this is good news for American travelers, and certainly something to keep an eye on.

In the meantime, take a look at European countries where the Euro is falling and their economies are experiencing financial hardship.  Ireland, Greece, and Portugal come to mind.

Who knows, 2012 just might be the year of the American in Paris.

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