South Pacific Bound...Trick or Treat at LAX...Thanks for the spill, Air Canada...

ON MY WAY TO TAHITI - Just writing that phrase puts a smile on my face.

I'm lucky enough to have been to Hawaii many times, and a couple times to the Caribbean. But I've always dreamt of Tahiti and her islands; Bora Bora, Moorea, Taha'a, and others.

The names alone seem magical and foreign; conjuring up images of Captain Cook and Mutiny on the Bounty and fierce, noble locals who pretty much invented the tattoo. Not to mention smooth, exotic, hula-dancing women and the flowers and the lagoons and the green mountain spires and the towering palms and the endless skies and maybe the odd beach.

I've been fascinated by Polynesian culture since first reading the James Michener book Hawaii back when I was 16 or so. The story of the settlement of these islands by small bands of folks braving weeks on open water in tiny boats send shivers up my spine; all their earthly possessions and their pigs and taro root and breadfruit plants bundled up with them as they sailed to almost unknown lands over acres and acres and acres of water, relying on the stars and the shape of the seas and similar factors to guide their way over thousands of miles.

Okay, it's also pretty warm and there's awesome snorkeling and, I'm guessing, a solid bit of joie de vivre in French Polynesia, too.

Anyway, that's where I'm headed over the next 24 hours or so; going via LA and arriving at midnight or so in Papeete (early morning Sunday Toronto time). I'm checking out Moorea first and one of the original South Pacific resorts, then taking in the real reason for my visit; the Hawaiki Nui Va'a canoe race that's been called the Super Bowl of canoeing. It's a huge deal that sees teams from all over race between islands over three gruelling days, and I can't wait to see how it unfolds.

I'll be filing every day, Internet connections willing. And I'll be sure to post some pictures. I probably won't have much to work with, but I'll try to make the place look decent....

COSTUME PARTY AT LAX

Pretty funny. I walk from the terminal where my Air Canada flight landed and get to the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX, and almost all the workers behind the counter at Japan Air Lines and Air Tahiti Nui are in costume. The Japanese workers seem dressed mostly as witches, with tall, pointy hats, but the Tahiti Nui girls are dressed like everything from Cleopatra to an angel to a Bollywood star. There are pumpkins and skeletons and such hanging from the rafters above their computers.

It's all in good fun. And it's interesting to see nobody at Pearson, at least not at Air Canada, was dressing any differently than normal. Perhaps West Jet or Porter? Or maybe it's American versus button-down Canada?

Anyway, I didn't mind. But I was happy to see the TSA safety screeners dressed in uniform and not looking like a pirate or Captain Kirk.

WATER HAZARD

It was mostly my own fault. On the way to LA from Toronto today, I had a half glass of water resting on the arm of seat. I was in the bulkhead row and it was a little hard to get at the table, which didn't fold down from in front of me but was stowed in the arm rest. I had the water sitting on the arm rest when the guy came by to sell sandwiches or maybe pick up garbage. Anyway, airplane aisles being narrow and all he bumped the glass and the water went all over my lap.

He was quick to get a napkin for me to dry myself, but an apology was never offered. Like I said, it was stupid of me to put the water there. But you'd think you'd get a profuse apology no matter whose fault it was.

I usually find Air Canada service to be just fine, but I gotta say I didn't see much good cheer from this crew. Guess they're not all reading the "let's compete with West Jet and actually smile at people" memos from management.

STUPID CANADIAN TRAVEL QUESTIONS

In case you missed it, check my post from Friday, Oct. 30 for some of the DUMBEST questions you've ever heard about Canada. Pretty good stuff, I gotta say.

Stupid Canada Visitor Questions...Caribbean Dreaming...Jim's Deal of the Day

A government friend of mine (thanks!) today sent me a great list of what she said were REAL questions people asked on an international tourism website. I'm a little dubious of these things, as folks might INTENTIONALLY ask really stupid questions.

Nonetheless, as we seek to entertain ourselves on a rainy Friday, here's a few of the offerings, with the country from which the query originated in parentheses:

- I have never seen it warm on Canadian TV, so how do the plants grow? (England)

- Will I be able to see polar bears in the street? (USA)

- I want to walk from Vancouver to Toronto, can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden).

- Is it safe to run around in the bushes of Canada? (Sweden)

- Are they any ATM's in Canada? Can you send me a list of them in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Halifax? (England)

- Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Canada?

- Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir Schedule? (USA)

- Can you tell me the regions in British Columbia where the female population is smaller than (the male) population? (Italy)

- Are there supermarkets in Toronto and is milk available all year round? (Germany)

A few minutes before I got this list, I met a friend who swore she'd heard that a couple of Americans showed up in Trinity, Newfoundland this summer and asked where all the Finnish people were. Puzzled, her friend asked what they meant. "Well," came the reply, "aren't we in New Finland?"

She insists it's true. But if people are really this stupid, there's very little hope for the human race. That's all I can say....

CARIBBEAN CRAZY

They held a smashing lunch/reception in the Distillery District today to celebrate Caribbean week in Canada. Star freelancer Janie Robinson was awarded top newspaper story honours for a piece about delivering the mail by boat in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Hugh Riley, secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Association, told a packed press conference that Canadian arrivals in 2008 were up 15.3 per cent over 2007 and that total 2009 Canadian arrivals between January and July of this year were up 7.4 per cent over 2008.

He called the figures "gratifying" and said Canadians have been "a real saviour" for the Caribbean.

I hadn't thought of it like that, but Riley said Caribbean nations are "probably the most tourism dependent region in the world."

As for why Canadians continue to flock south, Riley said proximity and ease of access obviously is a huge factor. There's also tremendous cultural diversity, with French, English, Spanish and native histories, not to mention Dutch and South Asian influences and, of course, black/African culture. Naturally, there's also "unmatched beauty and spectacular weather," not to mention "hospitable people."

While numbers from Canada have been good, Riley said the value-added promotions laid on by operators and hotel owners have taken a toll on the bottom line.

"Some of these deals I hope we never have to see again," he joked.

Riley said people definitely are taking longer to book; staying up at 2 a.m. to find the best deals, "then doing it again the next night."

There are signs of improvement, but he said many experts suggest things won't really improve until the third quarter of 2010.

Riley said Caribbean nations are casting an eye on Western Canada. So stay tuned for more on that.

As for what's happening down south, here are a few tidbits I picked up:

- Air Canada Vacations is now offering B and B's and villa apartments in Barbados. They also have a deal where you can upgrade to executive class on some flight/hotel packages for Cuba and Costa Rica for just $99, including access to the Maple Leaf Lounge.

- Delta is adding more flights to St. Lucia from Atlanta.

- Plans in St. Kitts are proceeding for the Christophe Harbour project on the southern part of the island, complete with a Tom Fazio golf course.

- It's gonna be a busy winter in the Cayman Islands. There's a Jazz Festival Dec. 3-5 with Alicia Keys, as well as a marathon. January will see an international cooking event held on Seven mile beach in front of the Ritz Carlton.

- The Jumby Bay Resort on Antigua is slated to reopen Dec. 1 and the Sugar Ridge Hotel later that month.

- Jamaica is said to have the most licensed attractions in the Caribbean; some 170 in all. Direct flights from London, Ontario to Jamaica begin Dec. 21; a huge improvement for London-area residents and even folks in Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge.

- Starting Nov. 4, West Jet will fly from Toronto to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos on Wednesdays, as well as Saturdays.

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

Transat Holidays’ Bite-Sized Price promotion includes not just Mexico and the Caribbean but Spain too. In Mexico, all-inclusive packages start at $449 at the NH Krystal Puerto Vallarta, for departures Nov. 9. In the Riviera Maya, Gran Bahia Principe Coba Royal Golden is priced from $699 (Nov. 28, Dec. 5 and 12). For the same departure dates, the D.R. is leading in at $479 for the Grand Oasis Marien in Puerto Plata and Jamaica, $769 at the Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa. And in Malaga, Spain, Transat Holidays is offering long-stays with 22 nights in a self-catering apartment with full kitchen for $1,099 per person, including airfare, for departures Feb. 9 and 16. See www.transatholidays.com.

MARRIOTT MADNESS

Available exclusively for bookings made in November, Marriott and Renaissance Caribbean, Mexico and Costa Rica resorts are offering 40 per cent off leisure rates for travel from Jan. 1 to April 30, 2010. The discount applies to room rate only and isn't valid for groups of ten rooms or more. Reservations must be made through marriott.com or by calling toll-free 1-888-727-2347 and requesting promotional code LLF.

 

New York winning Twitter battle?...Smelly Cruise ships...Jim's Deal of the Day

Got a press release from the I Love New York people saying that they've become the most followed state tourism site on Twitter.

Seems they had actor Peter Facinelli (WHO IS HE?) tweeted about New York to his 1 million-plus followers the other day and gave folks a chance to meet him in his hometown as part of an 

 
  
I Love New York campaign (www.iloveny.com) As of a few minutes ago, when I joined their twitter feed (http://twitter.com/i_LOVE_NY), the Empire State was up to 8,932 followers.

I have no idea how many the other states have, but I was surprised when I went onto the California tourism site, www.visitcalifornia.com, and found no obvious Twitter link. Looking on Twitter, it seems they've only got a couple thousand Twitter followers (http://twitter.com/CATourism).  

Hey, Golden State guys, isn't Silicon valley your home turf? You gonna let New York get away with kicking your Twitter butt?

This wouldn't happen if Arnold Schwarzenegger was alive. Oh, wait...

CRUISES WITH AROMA APPEAL

Another fun item, this courtesy of USA Today's cruise blogger, Gene Sloan. Seems Silversea Cruises' next ship, the 540-passenger Silver Spirit, will offer a menu of fragrances that folks can have infused in their cabin on request.

They apparently got Italian perfumer Laura Tonatto to develop three options; a basic scent, Oltre, which "is designed to evoke the boundless sea." Hmmmm, what on earth does that smell like?

Another has an orange scent and is called Fiori d'Arancio. It's supposed to make people calm.

The last one has lavender and is called Albi. It's touted as a de-stresser.

What kind of stress do you have on a cruise ship? What, they're out of chocolate mousse and you have to settle for cheesecake?

Stress AFTER the cruise I can see, like the day your Visa statement comes.

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

Air Canada Vacations’ three night packages in Bermuda come with a fourth night free when booked by Oct. 31, for travel Nov. 1, 2009 to Jan. 31, 2010. Flying time to Bermuda is just about two hours, making it ideal for a short getaway. Participating properties include the five-star Cambridge Beaches in Somerset, with three a la carte restaurants and two pools including a two-tiered infinity pool. Also at the high-end are The Fairmont Hamilton Princess and The Fairmont Southampton – a ferry service connects the two so you can stay at one and play at the other. Other options include the three and a half star Grotto Bay Beach Resort and the three-star Surf Side Beach Hotel. All bookings come with a Bermuda Savings Booklet while supplies last. See www.aircanadavacations.com.

Orlando on sale for Canadians...Sexy Vegas promo...Cruise News...Deal of Day

They've never done it before, but the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau has just instituted a savings program aimed solely at Canadians. The new "Made for Canadians" offers provide Canadian travellers more than 70 options at www.VisitOrlando.com/Canada.

The offers are valid now through April 30, 2010 and range from free nights at hotels to discounts on attractions. Examples include:

 - Book any 3 day golf school at the Faldo Golf Institute by Marriott and get 3 nights FREE lodging in a 1 bedroom villa at Marriotts' Grande Vista Resort;

- Stay 2 nights at the Nickelodeon Family Suites and the get the third night free, plus one $50 USDollar resort credit for food and entertainment;

- Receive a $10 USD discount with the purchase of $20 or more on food or beverages at Planet Hollywood.

Orlando tourism folks say Canada is poised to become Orlando's top international market by the end of the year, surpassing the UK. I find it hard to believe they get more UK visitors than Canadians, but perhaps they're measuring arrivals at the Orlando airport and not counting those of us who tend to roll onto International Drive in minivans packed with Tim Hortons cups, McDonald's wrappers and Cracker Barrel audio tapes.

SEX AND VEGAS GO TOGETHER LIKE....

Sorry, I know they're trying to turn Vegas into a family resort. That's fine. But nobody is confusing Orlando (see above) with Sin City, so let's get to the good stuff.

 

The Signature at MGM Grand down Vegas way on Nov. 1 will start offering "Naughty or Nice" packages, allowing guests to choose between a fun naughty weekend in a luxurious suite or a boring nice weekend.

The dull, sorry, nice package has rates starting at $129 for a junior suite, plus a 40 % discount to Cirque du Soleil's KA, a $25 spa credit, breakfast in bed, champagne and strawberries in your suite as a welcome gift and more. You also get a turndown service with a surprise romance gift.

The interesting, sorry, naughty package has the same rates but you get a 40 % discount at MGM Grand's Crazy Horse Paris, admission for two to Studio 54 or Tabu Ultra Lounge, a vodka bar in-suite amenity, a $75 beverage credit at Signature or MGM Grand Pools, WET REPUBLIC, Studio 54 or Tabu, plus the surprise romance gift with turndown service.

Personally, I get turned down all the time at hotels. (That's a joke, honey). But seriously, it sounds like a pretty good pre-Christmas deal in what's usually a pretty dreary time of year in Canada, notwithstanding that Prince Charles and Camilla are coming to Toronto.

I asked the p.r. person what romance gift is that comes with the naughty promotion, but all she'd say was it was "along the lines of a spa product."

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

Southern B.C.’s Panorama Mountain Village is offering free nights with stays of two nights or more. The ski resort is offering one night free with two paid nights, two nights free with three paid nights and three nights free with four paid nights. Lift tickets and breakfast are included with the paid nights (and discounted for the freebie nights). Panorama is offering the flexibility of either adding your free nights to your original stay, or using them for a return trip. For travel during the holiday season, including Christmas and New Year’s, the minimum stay for this deal is three nights. More details are available at www.panoramaresort.com.

CRUISE AWARDS

Royal Caribbean won the award for best family cruise line and Carnival won the best for first-timers award in CruiseCritic.com's annual editors' picks awards.

Royal Caribbean's Freedom Class of ships also won awards for best cruises for kids and best for teens. Holland America won in the best for cabins and best for activities categories, while Carnival won best nightlife. (The only cruise I've been on in my life was Royal Caribbean, and my kids had a great time, just fyi.)

 

Here are a few other winners:

- Best wedding at sea - Princess

- Best new ship - Celebrity Solstice and Equinox sister ships

- Best main dining - Carnival

- Best healthy dining - Celebrity

- Best river cruise line - Uniworld

- Best sailing ship - Windstar

- Best cruise line private island - Disney's Castaway Cay

 

Park'N Fly Food Drive...Worst Airports...Caribbean Warning...Jim's Deal/Day

Here's a nice idea. Park'N Fly here in Toronto is supporting the Daily Break Food Bank in an effort to help stampt out hunger and poverty and give families a happier holiday season.

Between Nov. 2 and Dec. 21, consumers can drop off a non-perishable food item at the Toronto Park'N Fly Valet Location and get one free parking day, with no strings or limitations or restriction. In addition, you can make a cash donation to the Food Bank in that period and get your free day by bringing the electronic donation receipt; just in case it's not handy to get the grocery store. Park'N Fly will match every dollar donated - up to $5,000 during this period.

I say GOOD ON PARK'N FLY for this promotion. And, hey, nice as the offer is, how about taking a big basket or bagful of groceries and not just a single item, folks?

CARIBBEAN UPS AND DOWNS

Interesting International Monetary Fund report the other day on Caribbean travel. The IMF says that as the financial crisis hit the U.S., countries most dependent on American tourism suffered the worst. Countries less dependent on U.S. visitors, including Barbados, the Dominican Republic and Cuba (duh), fared better.

From April to June, the IMF said visits to Mexico dropped 27.6 %, while those to St. Kitts and Nevis were down a surprising 25.5 % and visits to St. Vincent and the Grenadines dropped 24.1 %.

  
 

On the other hand, Barbados (see photo) was down 12. 5 % andSt. Lucia was down only 5.2 per cent. Jamaica was up 6.7 %, while Colombia grew by 13.2 % and Cuba by 3.8 %.

Don't forget it's Caribbean week here in Toronto, culminating with the Rum and Rhythm event at the Distillery District on Friday.

WORST AIRPORTS: LONDON CALLING

A survey by the Priority Pass airport lounge program finds that London Heathrow tops a list of the five worst airports in the world. Paris' Charles de Gaulle came in second, followed by LAX, Frankfurt International in Germany and Miami International.

Singapore Changi was voted the best airport by Priority Pass members, some 14,500 of whom were queried.

Singapore's airport is almost always singled out as world's best, with its massage chairs and movie theatres and rooftop gardens and dozens of other features that make our little Toronto Pearson look rather pathetic. But enough of that.

I don't know about Heathrow being worst. It's HUGELY busy, which can't be good for service. But I've been there twice in the last year, most recently a week ago in the new Terminal 5, and I thought it was pretty good. Haven't been to Paris in a while (note to self - remedy that) or LAX, although I'll be at LAX on Saturday for five hours so I can check it out. I recall my last visit to Frankfurt - on my way to Athens, I think - was dreadful. Miami's pretty poor but I believe it's being rebuilt/renovated.

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

The buzz in cruising these days seems to be either ‘go big’ or ‘go small’. Mega-ships like Royal Caribbean’s 220,000-ton Oasis of the Seas will carry 5,400 passengers when it hits the water later this year. That dwarfs the small and cozy river cruise ships gaining popularity on Europe’s waterways. No matter what your preference, there are plenty of deals out there. With Encore CruiseEscapes, you can save up to $200 per stateroom on Royal Caribbean cruises in Mexico, the Bahamas and the Caribbean, Alaska and Europe, plus Atlantic Ocean crossings, for ocean view staterooms on select ships and sailings booked by Oct. 31. Higher stateroom categories also qualify. For booking information see www.encorecruiseescapes.com.

AIR WARS IN THE U.S.

I think I'd need a calculator or a really good abacus to figure it out, but the deals sound extraordinary on Southwest and on AirTran down in the U.S. of A. Southwest has launched a goofy (but seemingly popular) sale in which tickets range from $25 to $100, depending on how you go. A flight of up to 375 miles is $25 each way, while flights between 375 and 549 miles are $50 and flights between 550 and 999 miles are $75 each way. Flights of 1,000 miles or more cost, wait for it, $100 each way.

The sale ends Thursday at 11:59 p.m. PST. The sale covers flights between Dec. 2 and 16 and Jan. 5 to Feb. 10 - thus avoiding Christmas and New Year's. Interesting it ends two days prior to the start of the Vancouver Olympics, too.

AirTran has a sale of its own but you'll have to go to their website - www.airtrain.com - to check. Sample flights include Boston to Baltimore/Washington for $39. I was able to find a one-way flight from Buffalo-Niagara to Orlando in mid-November for $67 U.S., which is pretty dang good.

The AirTran sale isn't valid for tickets on Nov. 25, Nov. 28-30, Dec. 18-20, Dec. 22-30 or Jan. 2-3. It, too, ends Feb. 10, and USA Today reports fares are cheapest for flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

HONDURAS CHAIR LIFT: LOOKS GREAT BUT IS THE COUNTRY SAFE?

Carnival passengers will be able to "fly" from the ship to the beach on a new elevated chair lift, when the line debuts its new Mahogany Bay Cruise Center in Roatan, Honduras, next month, says USA Today.

The six-minute lift ride, which Carnival is calling the "Magical Flying Beach Chair," will start directly at the cruise terminal and take passengers to Mahogany Beach. According to Carnival it's the first such transport in the Caribbean.

Four-passenger chairs will travel 67 feet above the ground. Carnival will charge a $5 fee for unlimited rides (chair lift passes will also be included in pre-sold beach activities).

The lift is part of Carnival's new $62 million cruise center which debuts with a visit of the 2,124-passenger Carnival Legend on Nov. 20. Mahogany Beach is a 10-acre private island featuring a long beach with loung chairs, floats, private cabanas, watersports, a restaurant and two bars.

It's something you don't see everyday, but the Tourism Minister of Honduras was quoted the other day as saying visitors should AVOID his country due to political instability.

"We are still a state without individual guarantees," he said. "The police can come into your house without court order, you can be arrested withour reason, and there's no freedom of movement."

Carnival argues Roatan is 30 miles from the coast and hasn't been affected by the political situation in Honduras and that "we have continued to call there through the past many weeks without incident."

Still....

 

Falling Canada Hotel Prices...Choice-Expedia fight...Jim's Deal of the Day

Okay, it's not their best weather. But it's a great time to visit Calgary, Montreal and Quebec City. Perhaps a little easier, and better from a meteorological standpoint, is that prices have fallen for hotels in Niagara Falls.   

Hotwire.com published its October Canadian Hotel Rate Report today and found that Calgary four-star hotel prices fell 11% from this time last year to $104, while those in Niagara Falls dropped by 10% to $115. Also falling 10% were four-star properties in Montreal and Quebec City ($104 for each).

The cost of a five-star hotel in Vancouver dropped nine per cent to $122, Hotwire said.

A CHOICE-EXPEDIA DISPUTE

A story in Travel Weekly the other day said Expedia has stopped selling Choice Hotel properties because the two sides couldn't agree on a new contract.

I tried to search for a Comfort Inn in Orlando on expedia.com and came away with zilch, even though they have properties in the land of the mouse. When I looked for a hotel in Niagara Falls on expedia.ca, it came up with a Comfort Inn property. But when I looked for one at Pearson Airport, the Comfort Inn near the airport didn't come up.

It's possible some of the individual hotels have individual deals with Expedia that mean they're not part of the Choice Hotels dispute.

Either way, the story is an interesting one.

The Travel Weekly piece pointed out Choice has some 5,000 hotels around the world operating under such brands as Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, Clarion and Cambria Suites (and, boy that's a lot of hotel names in one group ain't it?).

Choice said Expedia was trying to "dramatically alter their agreement, asking for full control of our franchisees' room inventory and pricing..."

Expedia returned the fire, stating it was "disappointed that Choice has decided to take what amounted to good faith negotiations...and publicize them in such an innacurate and misleading manner."

Ouch.

LANGUAGE DISPUTES DOWN SOUTH

Interesting story in the papers today about the Texas cops who gave ordinary drivers tickets for failing to speak English; a direct assault on their rights. Soon after reading that,I spotted something in USA Today about a hotel operator in New Mexico who's being picketed for forcing his employees to Anglicize their names and forbidding them from speaking Spanish.

It's a very touchy issue south of the border.

TURKEY DAY TROUBLES?

A new survey from American Express says 30 % of U.S. consumers plan to adjust this year's Thanksgiving (Nov. 26) travel plans, normally the busiest travel time of the year down south. The survey also said 19% of the general population that traveled last year will stay home in 2009; not good for the industry.

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

Twenty-seven cities, seven countries, one seat sale: Lufthansa has airfares to Europe and beyond with special pricing available until Oct. 28. These fares are quoted for one-way travel (so automatically double them) and do not include taxes, surcharges or fees. The lowest fare, $250, is available to cities including Graz and Salzburg in Austria,

 

as well as Gdansk and Warsaw in Poland and Istanbul, Turkey. A flight to Prague starts at $285 and to Berlin and Frankfurt, $290. Farther afield, Cape Town and Johannesburg in South Africa start at $425, and Dubai starts at $500. See www.lufthansa.com

Oops - Heterosexual Couple Joins Gay Cruise...Mid-Atlantic Swim!...Deal of/Day

Now, THAT'S awkward.

Spotted a story on TravelMole the other day about a heterosexual couple in Italy who mistakenly booked tickets on what apparently was Italy's first gay cruise.

The middle-aged husband and wife apparently weren't happy and are said to be suing the cruise line. They claim they weren't told it was a gay cruise, and that they felt out of place among the 1,500 gay passengers and seemingly didn't want to take part in events.

Can't imagine why.

Perhaps worse than having their cruise ruined - undoubtedly the cruise line will settle - was that the couple spotted some of their thought-to-be heterosexual friends on the ship.

"Hey, YOU got fooled? I thought it was a cruise for straight people, too!"

NOT A FREAKIN' CHANCE - CRUISE LINE OFFERS MID-ATLANTIC SWIM

I've heard of cruise ships that have these marina decks. They're small platforms (large, probably) that sit at the back of the ship and allow folks to go for a dip in the ocean; presumably when the ship's not moving.

Anyway, they usually let folks swim when they're near a port or near the beach or in some protected area. But a story I spotted in USA Today's Cruise Log says cruise industry watcher Seatrade Insider reported that the captain of a SeaDream Yacht Club ship took things to something of an extreme by allowing folks to take a dip in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

"Guests had been telling me they would like to swim in the Atlantic and at dawn on Thursday, Oct. 15 I knew that this was the day," the unnamed captain said. "The seas were as still as a pond."

 

Seatrade Insider said the ship was 958 nautical miles west of the Azores and some 1,541 miles east of the Caribbean. I haven't been able to determine how many lunatics people took him up on his offer.

Luxury Travel Magazine said the Captain later held a special ceremony and "awarded his Atlantic swim team a 'Certificate of Accomplishmen' to highlight the feat."

"It's just an example, of SeaDream Yacht Club going the extra mile — in this case the extra nautical mile in mid-Atlantic," the Captain said.

I don't know about you, but there's NO WAY IN HELL you'd get me out in the middle of the ocean for a swim.

I'm happy to snorkel near the beach and surf and all that, and I'm a pretty good swimmer. But I'm not going in the water 1,000 miles from land, no matter how calm the water is. It gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it, to tell you the truth.

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

Sugar Ridge, a brand new resort in Antigua, opens Dec. 1 with special introductory rates for five-night minimum stays. From Dec. 1 – 22, rooms start at $72 (U.S.) per person, per night, with breakfast. For the all-inclusive plan with breakfast, lunch and dinner daily plus local beverages and house wines, the introductory rate is $162 per person, per night. Sugar Ridge has 60 rooms with views of the Caribbean Sea (and neighbouring islands Redonda, St. Kitts and Nevis), two restaurants, an Aveda spa and two swimming pools: one for laps and one with cabanas for sunbathing. See www.sugarridgeantigua.com.

 

AN OLYMPIC SIDENOTE

It was with great sadness that I read today of the death of Vancouver 2010 chairman Jack Poole.

I got to know Jack way back around 2001 when Vancouver was just starting its bid for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. He had an obvious passion for the bid, and he was hugely instrumental in making it come to pass.

He'd been suffering from cancer for a long while but had made some rebounds along the way. It's sad to see him go, especially with his dream less than four months from becoming reality.

THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

Our foreign desk here at the Star got an interesting email today. Maybe somebody out there knows the family he's speaking of? Anyway, here's the letter.

Bonjour. I'm writing from Normandy, France. Last July I found, in a telephone booth near the motorway, the diary of a Canadian family(from London?). They had flown from Toronto to Frankfurt and visited part of Europe. I'm now trying to trace these people to send them their diary. Unfortunately, although I gathered some info from the diary, I have no family name or address.

I've been emailing different places/organisations in & around Toronto, and someone suggested I contact you. Is there any chance this works, in your opinion?

Any suggestion or advice will be most welcome.

Francis Métier
Cherbourg-Octeville, France

 

 

South Korea calling...Revolving Hotel in Croatia?...Jim's Deal of the Day

Had a chance to meet up with Korea tourism officials today. It's another place I've never visited but looks quite intriguing.

Sootaek Lee, the director of the Korea Tourism Organization, says some 82,000 Canadians traveled to Korea in the first nine months of this year, up 3.6 per cent from 2008.

Korea is launching its first Formula One race next year. It's already staging plenty of pro golf tournaments. And Pyeongchang is bidding again for the Winter Olympics, this time in 2018. The Korean city barely lost the 2010 bid to Vancouver, you may recall.

They're also emphasizing specialty tours such as temple stays,

 

medical/health tours and a taekwondo experience program, where you can learn basic forms of self-defense.

"We have 500-year-old palaces like Kyoto," as well as beaches, islands, mountains and big cities such as Seoul; all in a fairly small country that can be crossed in a few hours, Lee explained.

A lot of our attention in Canada has been on how the loonie has surged against the U.S. greenback, but Lee says the dollar now fetches about 1,100 Korean wan; up from 900 not so long ago.

Korea is doing a lot with social media as well, launching its own Facebook page (www.facebook.com/visitkorea) where folks can explain why they want to visit.

EVERYONE GETS AN OCEAN VIEW ... FOR A WHILE

Spotted a great item the other day about a hotel near Split, Croatia, on Solta Island. Rather than giving a few people the great Mediterranean views and other folks a glimpse of the parking lot, the plan is to have the hotel rotate.

That way everyone gets a sea view for part of the day, or part of an hour, you'd think. You could even time your breakfast or lunch or what have you so that you have your meal or do your shopping while the view sucks, then dash back to the room to enjoy the sunset.

I don't have any more details but if I do I'll pass them along as it sounds really cool. Revolving restaurants used to be all the thing, so why not a hotel?

CONTINENTAL AIMING FOR TORONTO ISLAND AIRPORT?

Good story from my former City Hall cohort Paul Moloney in today's Star, explaining that there's a move afoot to perhaps build a giant parking lot down near the Toronto Island Airport.

Moloney explains that traffic is booming at the airport and says there's talk that Air Canada wants to get back in. And he floated the idea that Continental Airlines from the U.S. might want to grab some spots.

Interesting.

THE ECONOMY IS ON THE MEND....OH, WAIT

It's hard keeping track of the economic news these days. For every bright spot, there's a dull one. For every spark of energy, there's a slam to the back of your head that makes you feel we're nowhere near recovery. Anyway, here's the latest; all of it rolling in today.

The National Business Travel Association's Canadian affiliate put out a release in the afternoon to say it expects domestic and transborder airfares to increase 1 to 5 per cent this year, but that international airfares will remain flat. They also expect hotel rates and car rental rates to stay flat in 2010, although I've read plenty of stories about car agencies raising prices down south.

(On a related note, my Dad rented a car in B.C. a few weeks back and they nailed him $200 for taking it over the border to Alberta. I've been warned in previous rentals not to take my car over a state border in the U.S., but I think it's absurd. And my Dad says there was nothing in the ad he saw that said anything about a cross-border penalty. And it's within the same country, so I find it ridiculous. Taking a Canadian car to the U.S., maybe that's an issue. But B.C. to Alberta? Get real, folks.)

There were several reports on U.S. airline earnings today, as well. Delta said it will cut system capacity 3 per cent after a $161 million third quarter loss. That compares to a loss of $50 million in the same period a year ago.

US Airways lost $80 million in the third quarter of this year, but it was a smaller loss than analysts expected.

Meanwhile, over at Alaska Air Group, word was they posted a, wait for it, third quarter profit of a rather sizeable $87.6 million. The Seattle-based company operates Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. How they did it, I haven't a clue.

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

A discount is a discount, no matter where it comes from. With Sunquest’s new ‘Pay No Fuel’ promotion, your savings are deducted from your travel taxes rather than the base fare. But it still adds up to $90 off per person, or $180 off per couple. To Punta Cana, for instance, the taxes normally add up to about $320 per person. With the ‘Pay No Fuel’ deal, that Punta Cana tax bill drops to just over $230 per person. ‘Pay No Fuel’ applies to all destinations and durations for all Sunquest sun packages, for travel Nov. 1, 2009 to Feb. 28, 2010. Bookings must be made by Nov. 3. See www.sunquest.ca.

Good West Jet Idea, Caribbean Week in TO,Torstar Digital Makes Key Purchase

It's such an obvious solution, you gotta wonder why nobody thought of it earlier. Or at least why they haven't done it.

The folks at WestJet say they're contemplating a plan that would take middle seats off the market on some long-distance flights, apparently Calgary to Hawaii (see photo). 

 

That would lessen the weight of the planes and thus reduce the amount of fuel needed. Which would allow them to better utilize existing planes and not buy bigger, more expensive ones.

The talk is that next year they'll leave up to 20 middle seats open on the Boeing 737-700 planes, which seat 136 folks.

Of course, they'd forgo some revenue so the thought is that folks (HELLO, YOU THINK?) would pay a little extra to have an empty seat next to them. I find it's a HUGE benefit to have half a seat for my book or iPod or what have you, and to be able to use half the tray to hold a drink while I put my laptop or whatever on the tray in front of my seat.

Personally, I'd pay $100 for the extra seat on a long flight. Even a five-hour flight it might be worth it. Or at least $50.

Interesting idea, and I'll be watching to see how this works.

RUM AND RHYTHM

The second annual Caribbean Rum & Rhythm Festival goes next Friday in the Distillery District as part of Caribbean Week in Toronto.

 

There's a party Friday night Oct. 30 from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Fermenting Cellar, with a variety of award-winning rums and some tasty cocktails, plus mouth-watering cuisine, music and a silent auction that includes Caribbean vacations. Ooh, I hope they have some Chairman's Reserve from St. Lucia (see photo)

Tickets are available for $55 per person and be purchased online at Ticketweb.com and at www.caribbeanweek.ca or by calling (888) 222-6608.

TORSTAR DIGITAL BUYS TRAVEL ALERTS

Interesting to see our friends at Torstar Digital have purchased Travelwire Inc., owner of TravelAlerts.ca (www.travelalerts.ca), a leading travel website and weekly newsletter that provides 700,000 Canadians with information about the best travel deals.

"We are excited to work collaboratively with the Travelwire team to further extend this fantastic product to Torstar Digital's broad consumer audience and advertiser base," Torstar Digital officials said. "Travelwire is unique in that it offers 10 regional TravelAlerts.ca newsletters across Canada with geo-targeted travel deals for each region."

Personally, I'm pretty excited to see what direction this goes. Could be some changes for our website down the road?

CRUISE DOINGS

The first Caribbean sailing of MSC Poesia goes Nov. 10 from Fort Lauderdale, touching base at Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman in a five-night cruise.

MSC Poesia was launched last year. For information, go to www.msccruisesusa.com

FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (WEST)

The West Hollywood Marketing and Visitors Bureau has announced the relaunch of www.gogaywesthollywood.com, "the premier source of information for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered travelers to West Hollywood."

It's a great area, for sure, including parts of the Sunset strip and other districts. It's more or less sandwiched between Beverly Hills and Hollywood itself, which is a region of Los Angeles and not a separate city.

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

Air Canada Vacations has extended the booking deadline on its Early Booking Bonus deal to Europe. From now until Nov. 30, you can save $200 per couple, or $100 per person, on all Air & Hotel packages to Europe, as long as travel is taken between Nov. 1, 2009 and April 30, 2010. Air Canada Vacations’ Europe  

line up includes London, Madrid, Paris, Geneva, Zurich, Dublin, Frankfurt and Munich, with flights and hotels as well as car rentals, airport/hotel transfers, sightseeing tours and theatre tickets. See www.aircanadavacations.com.

 

Cardiff and its Castle...Farewell to Wales...Jim's Deal of the Day

CARDIFF, Wales - I'm gonna miss this place.

I had the better part of six days in Wales in October and not a drop of rain. Okay, maybe two drops. But that was it. No umbrella. No rain gear. I got wet at Celtic Manor but only because I tried to replicate Jean Van de Velde's water shot from the British Open; mostly as a gag but partly because I'm dumb enough to think I can hit a ball when it's resting in four inches of water in a pond next to a green on the 2010 Ryder Cup course.

Anyway, I played golf in shirt sleeves on the weekend and could've done so on Monday at Royal Porthcawl, which is as pure and delightful a links golf experience as I can imagine.

It's sheer wonderment; you can see the sea from every hole and you navigate along the ocean for the first few holes. There are vicious pot bunkers, great, rumpled greens and more gorse and fescue than you shake a stick at.  No tricks, no goofy holes; just wonderful golf. So thanks to Dylan and Peter Williams for a great finish to a fabulous week of golf.

Spent the rest of the day soaking up the atmosphere in downtown Cardiff, which is undergoing some major changes. It's not quite London or Edinburgh, of course, but there are some charming regions and funky shops and a great market where you can buy faggots and peas (meatballs and peas, I think) as well as boiling bacon (not sure about that) and prepared curries, as well as dozens of fruits and vegetables. One caller was shouting out "half price on raspberries. Raspberry happy hour, right here." He was also busy trying to convince a very attractive blonde that she ought to do some modelling, and I admired his persistence.

Cardiff Castle is terrific; right in the heart of downtown. With an old keep, a moat, the remains of an old Roman wall and lots of turrets and tunnels and places to play at being a knight, it's a great spot to spend a couple hours.

It's also close to the superb Goat Major pub, where I finally got to try some Brains SA beer (the locals say the SA stands for skull attack; charming!). Stayed at the Park Plaza Hotel, which has a really good gym and all the modern conveniences in a great location a half block from the shops of Queen Street, which always makes a Torontonian feel at home.

I'll miss long drives on winding country roads listening to BBC 2, which is a great station. And I'll miss the wonderfully entertaining people and the grand scenery; the river valleys and the craggy coastlines and the Snowdonia mountains and the endless hills dotted with sheep and black Welsh cattle. I won't miss trying to pronounce the place names of some of the towns. Why is that if there are two l's together it sounds like "cl" but where two f's are put together it sounds like f? I don't get it.

Anyway, it's a cracking good place and I'm looking forward to another visit. They say you can take a kayak down the Wye river and stop at a pub along the way, and to a Canadian that sounds about as good as you can get.

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

There’s nothing to say your winter getaway has to involve a big ski lodge. The Bed & Breakfasts of Crested Butte, a local group of B&Bs in Colorado’s Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley, offer accommodation and a hearty breakfast in lodgings ranging from ‘Crested Butte casual’ to historic mountain retreat. And from March 28 – April 24, 2010, the B&Bs have a special rate of $99 (U.S.) per night, per person for a minimum of four nights’ lodging and two days of skiing. Additional nights are available at a discount as well. The three participating properties are The Ruby of Crested Butte, Purple Mountain B&B and the Elizabeth Anne B&B. Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley has just about every winter activity imaginable, from skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort to snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and ice fishing. See www.crestedbuttebedandbreakfasts.com.