Posted by David Porter on November 17, 2016 · 2 Comments
I hate flying. In fact, Carol and I haven’t been to Asia, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and a great many places I’d love to visit because I hate flying.
To me, being cooped up for 13+ hours in the confined spaces of today’s airliners is cruel and unusual punishment. So, much to my dear wife’s chagrin, we’ve yet to visit any destination that requires more than 10 hours of flying.
However, when I hear about the possibility of flying to Europe in 3.5 hours, my mind leaps for joy as I contemplate visiting far flung destinations without having to put up with my current disdain for the current airline offerings.
Two days ago, Boom Technology unveiled the XB-1 Supersonic Demonstrator, a subscale prototype of the Boom supersonic passenger airliner. On display for the first time ever at Boom’s Hangar 14 at Centennial Airport, the XB-1, nicknamed “Baby Boom,” was unveiled at an exclusive VIP event for airline and aerospace executives and media. The XB-1 is the world’s fastest civil aircraft ever made, and it will demonstrate in flight the key technologies for affordable supersonic travel.
“60 years after the dawn of the jet age, we’re still flying at 1960s speeds,” said Blake Scholl, chief executive officer and founder of Boom. “Concorde’s designers didn’t have the technology for affordable supersonic travel, but now we do. Today, we’re proud to unveil our first aircraft as we look forward to first flight late next year.”
If successful, the designers of this new aircraft promise flights that will be 2.6 times faster than today’s jetliners. And, unlike the failed Concord, they’re looking to offer these flights at prices that will compete with today’s business-class flights.
Notable Features
- First independently developed supersonic jet: Previously, supersonic flight has been the province of governments and militaries. The XB-1 is the first independently developed and privately-funded supersonic jet.
- Fastest Civil Aircraft Ever: Cruising at Mach 2.2 (1,451mph), Boom jets are 10% faster than Concorde and 2.6X faster than other airliners.
- State of the Art, Proven Technology: Leveraging 50 years’ progress in fundamental aerospace technologies, Boom uses proven tech (aerodynamics, materials, propulsion) to create a revolutionary new design. While the design is new, every key technology has already been proven safe and reliable on other commercial aircraft.
- Premium Passenger Experience: With one spacious seat on each side of the aisle, each passenger has a large window, a personal overhead bin, and direct aisle access. Cruising up to 60,000′, passengers experience a smoother ride with less turbulence.
- Safety First: The Boom design meets or exceeds industry and regulatory safety guidelines. Our aim is to create an aircraft that is safe, fast, and a pleasant to fly.
In my humble opinion, if they pull this off, this will revolutionize the travel industry as travelers will be able to explore the world and get there in nearly 1/3 of the time. And that, my dear readers, is something to which I can raise a glass. 🍷🍷🍷
To learn more, check out the Boom Supersonic website by clicking here.
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Posted by David Porter on November 11, 2016 · 136 Comments
Viking Ocean Cruises Stateroom Guide
How to Choose the Right Stateroom on a Viking Ocean Cruise
Now that we’ve sailed with Viking Ocean Cruises on the Viking Star and have given you the first impressions from our sailing, we thought it might be helpful to circle back around and offer you some help on how to choose a stateroom that’s right for you.
One of the first things to know is that all of the Viking Ocean Cruises ships are identical, so our Viking Ocean Cruises Stateroom Guide will help you regardless of which of the Viking ocean ships you’re considering.
If you’re looking for our guide on choosing the right stateroom on a Viking River Cruise, then please click here.
The Viking Ocean Cruises ships hold a maximum of 930 passengers with 465 staterooms divided into the following categories:
- 42 Veranda (V) staterooms
- 272 Deluxe Veranda (DV) staterooms
- 104 Penthouse Veranda (PV) staterooms
- 32 Penthouse Junior Suites (PS)
- 14 Explorer Suites (ES)
- 1 Owner’s Cabin (OS)
As you can see, Viking Ocean Cruises has designed every stateroom to have a veranda with the smallest offering passengers a comfy 270 sq. ft. This size is quite a departure from competitor ships where many of the entry level staterooms can be as small as 150 sq. ft.
All right, let’s start by exploring the specific differences between the various staterooms, and we’ll share our opinions at the end of this article.
Highlights of the Viking Ocean Cruises Staterooms
Note: click on all of the photographs below to see larger views.
Veranda Staterooms
There are 42 Veranda Staterooms (V) on each of the Viking Ocean Cruises ships. These staterooms are located on Deck 3 with the V1 staterooms towards the front and the V2 staterooms towards the rear.
Each room has the following features:
Size including veranda: 270 sq. ft.- 11:00 a.m. embarkation
- 3:00 p.m. stateroom access
- Priority shore excursion reservations: 60 days prior
- King-size Viking Explorer bed with luxury linens
- Large flat-screen LCD TV
- Luxury toiletries
Direct dial satellite phone & cell service- Security safe, hair dryer, 110/220 volt outlets
- Wi-Fi
- Interactive TV & movies-on-demand
- 24-hour room service
Deluxe Veranda Staterooms
When choosing a stateroom remember that there are 272 Deluxe Veranda Staterooms (DV) on each of the Viking Ocean Cruises ships with classifications going from DV1 – DV6. Besides earlier access to your stateroom and shore excursion reservations, the biggest difference between these staterooms is the location on the ship. You will also find a small difference in price between each of these categories. Let me explain:
- DV1 – there are just a dozen or so of these staterooms and they are located in premium spots on the ship alongside the Explorer Suites. These sell out quickly as there are so few of them.
- DV2 – there are quite a number of these stateroom located primarily mid-ship on decks 5 and 6.
- DV3 – again, just a handful located in desirable locations on the ship.
- DV4 – there are quite a number of these staterooms located primarily mid-ship on deck 4.
- DV5 – about 25 of these located on deck 4 fore and aft.
- DV6 – less than 20 of these located on deck 3 just behind the atrium.
The Deluxe Veranda Staterooms are physically identical to the Veranda Staterooms and offer the following improved features:
- Size including veranda: 270 sq ft
- 11:00 a.m. embarkation
- 2:00 p.m. stateroom access
- Priority shore excursion reservations: 67 days prior
- 1 guaranteed priority reservation at each specialty restaurant (60 days prior to departure)
- King-size Viking Explorer bed with luxury linens
- Large flat-screen LCD TV
- Mini-bar with soft drinks, water & snacks, replenished once daily
- In-suite binoculars, coffee maker & cashmere blanket
- Luxury robes, slippers & toiletries
- Direct dial satellite phone & cell service
- Security safe, hair dryer, 110/220 volt outlets
- Wi-Fi
- Interactive TV & movies-on-demand
- 24-hour room service
Penthouse Veranda Staterooms
There are 104 Penthouse Veranda Staterooms (PV) on each of the Viking Ocean Cruises ships.
These staterooms are the largest of the Veranda Staterooms, are located on decks 5 and 6 and come with the following more improved features:
Size including veranda: 338 sq. ft.- 11:00 a.m. embarkation
- 1:00 p.m. stateroom access
- Priority shore excursion reservations: 77 days prior
- 2 guaranteed priority reservations at each specialty restaurant (70 days prior to departure)
- King-size Viking Explorer bed with luxury linens
- Large flat-screen LCD TV
- Mini-bar with alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, water & snacks, replenished once daily
- In-suite binoculars, coffee maker & cashmere blanket
Luxury robes, slippers & toiletries- Direct dial satellite phone & cell service
- Security safe, hair dryer, 110/220 volt outlets
- Wi-Fi
- Interactive TV & movies-on-demand
- 24-hour room service
- Shoe shine & pressing
- Bottle of champagne
Penthouse Junior Suites
There are 32 Penthouse Junior Suites (PS) on each of the Viking Ocean Cruises ships. These junior suites each feature a close-off between the bedroom and living area and come with the following features:
- Size including veranda: 405 sq. ft.
- 11:00 a.m. embarkation
- 11:00 a.m. priority stateroom access
- Priority shore excursion reservations: 87 days prior
- 3 guaranteed priority reservations at each specialty restaurant (80 days prior to departure)
- King-size Viking Explorer bed with luxury linens
- Large flat-screen LCD TV
- Mini-bar with alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, water & snacks, replenished once daily
- In-suite binoculars, coffee maker & cashmere blanket
Luxury robes, slippers & toiletries- Direct dial satellite phone & cell service
- Security safe, hair dryer, 110/220 volt outlets
- Wi-Fi
- Interactive TV & movies-on-demand
- 24-hour room service
- Laundry, dry cleaning, shoe shine & pressing
- Bottle of champagne
Explorer Suites
There are 14 Explorer Suites (ES) on each of the Viking Ocean Cruises ships. Each of these suites is large, luxurious, has the very best locations on the ship with expansive verandas, and are certain to appeal to luxury travelers looking for the quiet ship experience that is found with Viking.
Size including veranda: 757+ sq. ft.- 11:00 a.m. embarkation
- 11:00 a.m. priority stateroom access
- Priority shore excursion reservations: 97 days prior
- 3 guaranteed priority reservations at each specialty restaurant (90 days prior to departure)
- King-size Viking Explorer bed with luxury linens
- Large flat-screen LCD TV
- Mini-bar with alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, water & snacks, replenished once daily
In-suite binoculars, coffee maker & cashmere blanket- Luxury robes, slippers & toiletries
- Direct dial satellite phone & cell service
- Security safe, hair dryer, 110/220 volt outlets
- Wi-Fi
- Interactive TV & movies-on-demand
- 24-hour room service
- Laundry, dry cleaning, shoe shine & pressing
- Bottle of champagne
- * Stateroom configuration varies depending upon the location on each deck
Stateroom Comparison Chart
Note: click charts for much larger views.
Deck Plans
After you choose a stateroom, the next decision is where on the ship you’d like your stateroom to be located. So, to help with your choice, here’s a peek at the various decks on Viking Ocean Cruises ships.
Note: click on the images below for much larger views.
Putting it all together to choose the perfect stateroom
At the end of the day, I suppose it will be your wallet that will determine which of the staterooms will best suit your needs. But once you choose a stateroom that best matches your finances, you will also notice that the staterooms also have a further division into various classes. For example, the Deluxe Veranda (DV) has six different classifications (DV1 – DV6) depending on its location on the ship. Therefore, a DV1 stateroom, as it has a better location on the ship, will carry a higher price tag than a DV6 stateroom.
In our opinion, Viking Ocean Cruises has built a ship that will nicely meet the needs of a great swath of the boomer travelers – you should be able to choose a stateroom that fits your needs perfectly.
Want Some Help?
It’s certainly no secret that you can call Viking Ocean Cruises direct to book your cruise. However, if I can offer a shameless plug for our travel agency, here’s a few reasons you may want to consider having us come alongside and help you plan a fun Viking Ocean Cruise:
- The cost is exactly the same booking direct with Viking or booking directly with us.
- We sometimes have additional perks like shipboard credits to share with you through our various industry affiliations.
- If Viking finds that a particular cruise is selling tickets as well as they want, it is not uncommon for them to issue a special “flash sale” that will not appear on their website but we will have access to. We keep a close eye out for these sales and publish them in our Saturday morning newsletter.
- As we have personally sailed with Viking, and have been to many of the destinations they visit, we have a great deal of personal advice to send your way.
- And lastly, our first goal as a relationship driven organization is to earn your trust and bring value to the relationship. We understand that you may need help with travel options in the future, and we’d love to have you as a client and help you with all of your travel needs. We are certainly not limited to just Viking! As a full-service travel agency, we can bring you help and advice on nearly any travel option you can dream up.
To book a fun Viking Ocean Cruise, or to get your Viking questions answered, call our travel agency at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
Link: Viking Ocean Cruises Website
Note: all photos and charts courtesy of Viking Ocean Cruises.
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Posted by David Porter on November 4, 2016 · 1 Comment
For me, the thought of flying overseas in a coach seat is cruel and unusual punishment. In fact, I won’t do it.
Over the years, the airline industry has been rolling out “premium-type” seats for quite a while. No too long ago, we were unable to obtain business class seating on a return trip home from Paris so we picked up two premium seats from Air France. While not lie-flat beds, we were very comfortable flying back home.
While late to the party, Delta Airlines has announced that they will soon be offering Delta Premium on their long-haul flights overseas. I’m quite certain that folks are going to enjoy this additional option.
Here’s their press release announcing the new Delta Premium:
“Delta Premium, the latest cabin experience from Delta Air Lines, will debut on select international flights in late 2017. Through additional space, elevated service and distinguished amenities provided by partnerships with brands focused on design and quality, Delta is bringing the ‘premium’ back to the premium economy experience.
In 2014, Delta began introducing differentiated experiences for customers through a well-defined range of options, allowing customers to tailor travel to their specific needs. Delta One, First Class, Delta Premium and Delta Comfort+ offer enhanced experiences, while Main Cabin and Basic Economy service offer value options. All cabin experiences offer a high level of service and Delta’s unmatched operational reliability.
Delta Premium will feature:
- More space with up to 38 inches of pitch, up to 19 inches of width and up to seven inches of recline. Delta Premium seats will also offer adjustable leg rests and head rests;
- Westin Heavenly® In-Flight Blanket with pillow and a TUMI amenity kit featuring Malin+Goetz Travel Essentials, allowing customers to settle in and arrive well-rested;
- Pre-departure beverage service followed by fresh, seasonal menu selections presented with Alessi serviceware designed exclusively for Delta;
- A 13.3-inch, high resolution in-flight entertainment screen that is among the largest in its class, allowing customers to stay entertained with Delta Studio’s industry-leading library of complimentary movies, shows and games, and noise-cancelling headphones;
- In-seat power ports for large and small devices and convenient storage to keep them within reach;
- Sky Priority service, which includes faster check-in, accelerated security, priority boarding and expedited baggage service.
“Delta Premium is Delta’s latest example of paying careful attention to what customers tell us they want and responding with unique products designed to meet their individual needs,” said Tim Mapes, Delta’s Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.
Delta Premium will be available beginning in fall 2017.”
Link: Delta News Hub on Delta Premium Seats
Nice! It’s about time! 🙂
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Posted by David Porter on November 4, 2016 · Leave a Comment
Last-minute 2016 Holiday Sailing Offers: Oceania Cruises
Looking for a last-minute holiday travel offer?
Whether it’s the East Coast, or the West Coast, we’ve got you covered with special unadvertised holiday sailing offers from our friends at Oceania Cruises.
All three of these cruises will let you enjoy a sunny holiday season aboard ship. With these prices, why not grab your entire family and go on an all-inclusive cruise for the holidays. Maybe grandma and grandpa take a nice suite, while the grand kids share an inexpensive inside stateroom. And moms, no cooking and cleaning. You can be pampered during the whole cruise and enjoy more time with the kids.
Here’s what you need to know about the three offers below:
- You’ll find two different price schedules below:
- OLife Choice fare includes round-trip air, unlimited Internet, and you get to choose one of the following:
- FREE – 6 Shore excursions
- FREE – Beverage Package
- FREE – $600 Shipboard Credit
- Cruise-only fare is just that, cruise only.
PLUS, $1,000 Off/Stateroom!
Shhhhhh. Here’s the unadvertised part. Be
cause of our network affiliations, if you book one of these cruises with us before Nov. 14th, 2016 we can take an extra $1,000 off of your cruise price.
That’s $1,000 per stateroom. Therefore, if you’re traveling with your extended family, you’re going to save a lot of money. Right?
Now. Let’s look at the offers…
Take $500/person off of the listed prices below!
For more information, or to take advantage of these special unadvertised specials, book your stateroom(s) by calling us at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information form (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
Note: click image below to see a larger view….
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Posted by David Porter on November 3, 2016 · Leave a Comment
Several States in a Showdown with the Federal Government over “Big Brother ID Cards”.
The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.” The Act established minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits Federal agencies from accepting for certain purposes driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act’s minimum standards. The purposes covered by the Act are: accessing Federal facilities, entering nuclear power plants, and, no sooner than 2016, boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft.
While 90% of the states in the U.S. are compliant, or have received extensions past the 2016 deadline, five state’s residents (Oklahoma, Kentucky, Maine, Pennsylvania and South Carolina) are in serious threat of not being able to enter Federal facilities in early January, and not being able to board a aircraft for a domestic flight in 2018.
If you care to learn more about this issue, check out the links below:
What to do?
Unless you live in Oklahoma, Kentucky, Maine, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, I’d say go on about your life. However, if you live in one of these five states, and your state continues in a showdown with the Federal Government, you may find yourself needing a passport to board an aircraft for a domestic flight in 2018. 😕
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The Roaming Boomers
I hate flying. In fact, Carol and I haven’t been to Asia, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and a great many places I’d love to visit because I hate flying.
