Time 2 Cruise

For the second time in less than a year, a pier in New York City has been struck by a cruise ship. The Norwegian Spirit struck the pier damaging the beams that support it. Officials say that there was no one hurt and no risk of collapse from the accident. Carnival had a similar accident with the Carnival Victory last summer that caused more damage to the nose of the ship than it did to the pier.

American Airlines is the first of the major airlines to tack on a fee for the first checked bag, but they wont be the last. It wont be long before other airlines follow suit. No one wants to be first but following the leader is a game they are all good at for sure. Jokes have been running rampant about what will be the next thing to cost extra. Some of the funnier ones to date have been a pay toilet paper dispenser and pay to use the overhead space for carry on luggage. Even if the airlines have not been thinking about it, reading may just give them some ideas. Realistically it looks like the beverage service will no longer be complimentary in the near future. We have been paying for alcoholic drinks for a while now, but soft drinks, water, and coffee may be requiring us to have correct change soon. Will this drive people away from flying? I doubt it. Given the alternatives, people will learn to either pay for their new found luxuries or to do without in many cases. Doing...

Norwegian and Royal Caribbean increased the rates on their fuel surcharges late last month. Now the Carnival collection of cruise lines have followed suite by upping the daily fee by $3 per person for the first 2 passengers. At $8 a person per day a 7 day cruise for 2 is now going to cost an extra $112. While its understandable that the cost of fuel is hurting the cruise lines, its hard to swallow the added cost for the average cruiser who is also feeling the pinch everywhere else. As with the Airline industry, there is an area where everything is going to work itself out, but its going to take time.

For those that remember flying back before the U.S. Government deregulated the airline industry, you may remember that there seemed to be less people flying and that for the most part it was a business thing more than a vacation mode of transportation. You may also remember that the average cross country ticket was way higher than what has been costing to travel in recent years. Now, after years of low airfare, the costs are going up. With inflation (lets not talk about the U.S. dollar being where it is right now) it is still cheaper to fly now than it was 20 plus years ago. Just like the cruising industry, where prices dropped or maintained the same level for the last two to three decades, it has become more affordable for the average Joe to fly. The question remains as to how high prices will go before planes start to fly without passengers. Supply and demand is a fragile system that works both ways and we the consumer are going to see a lot more tweaking of how airlines opera...

Its not a difficult observation to make. With gas rising at what feels like an exponential rate lately, the idea of a family vacation just does not seem to be as important right now. Some experts expect the cost of a barrel of oil to hit $200 by the end of the year. That cost not only has an affect on travel but puts the hurt on just about every aspect of family life. The groceries on the table are getting more expensive right along with it. Its unfortunate. However, this does not mean that you should give up the time to spend with the family. Maybe that cross country trip planned for over 2 weeks becomes an extended weekend staying closer to home and visiting attractions in your own back yard so to speak. There are many local attractions near any big city that are inexpensive and even free in some cases. We all need a chance to recharge our batteries and that's what a vacation is supposed to be for. Over the years tho vacationing has become an event that can be drainin...

For one cruise line, they have. Norwegian has raised their fuel surcharges from $7 to $9 per person per day and tacked on a $1 per person per day for additional guests in the cabin after the first and second passenger. The question now, is whether or not the other cruise lines will follow suit. Its difficult to tell. Unlike the airline industry, cruise lines are not known for playing follow the leader, but rather try to be as different as possible. That mind set was broken with the onset of the fuel charge last fall. When you take a step back, and look at things over the last eight months it is kind of funny how the cruise lines have taken on a business strategy that the airlines are known for, and now the airlines are working with what could be considered a cruise line strategy with the a la carte method of pricing. When the cruise lines introduced the fuel charges originally last October/November, it did not go over well, and even ended up causing a lawsuit and many passen...

The price of gas goes up every summer so why should this summer be any different? It wont, and with the cost already at an astronomical amount, it is just going to mean a bigger hit than normal for the summer drive vacation. The cost of a barrel of oil just recently topped $117 and many experts do not see an end in site. $150 is not unforeseeable . This could mean many families may just stay closer to home, or even stay home this summer. If this happens, look for some popular destinations to offer some pretty good deals to entice you to gas and go. Some Vegas hotels are toying with the idea of offering gas and food vouchers. Living in Phoenix, we are within driving distance of Vegas and Los Angeles. I have seen more 2 for 1 coupons popping up around town for some California destinations such as Magic Mountain and Disney World. So if you are feeling the hurt of the gas prices but are still hoping to take a family vacation some time this summer, look around and see whats being ...

We are all familiar with the $25 charges popping up for second checked bags, and it has a while since we last seen a free meal included when on a flight, now U.S. Airways is going to start charging for window and isle seats. They are calling the plan "choice seating" and it is to go into affect starting in May. At this rate, it is going to cost to put bags in the over head compartment soon. I can see it now, the bins will take bills and credit cards. Want some peanuts? Might have to take out a loan to get a tiny bag. This is tough times for the airline industry, but its also a tough time for the consumer. At the rate things are going, vacations could become something that we read about in magazines rather than actually take. hopefully we wont see it get to that.

Niel Dietz , Secretary-Treasurer of the Hawaii Ports Maritime Council of the AFL - CIO , wrote a detailed article about how U.S. flagged ships are getting hurt by foreign flag ships when it comes to cruises to Hawaii. While he makes a valid argument on it hurting the U.S. flagged ships, I find it hard to believe that enforcement of the rule as planned is going to help. Reason being is that there are not a lot of U.S. flagged cruise ships to begin with. As he stated, being under U.S. flag also means following U.S. regulations in regard to hiring, wage, and tax practices. That is why the ships have trouble with competing in the Hawaiian market because their costs are so high to begin with. Removing the competition does not mean that people are just going to jump ship so to speak and move over to the U.S. flagged ships that will be raising their prices with the lack of competition. Cruising can be an inexpensive vacation, and this is why so many people try it and return many times ...

It is safe to say that a lot of people are afraid to fly. Its not a new phobia by any means. But, the reason behind many of new adopters of the I rather stay on the ground crew is all the news about lack of maintenance and enforcement of maintaining the integrity of the planes by the FAA. With American Airlines grounding over 3000 flights in the last four days, it is easy to see why people rather drive even with the price of gas right now. My own sister in law and mother are going to make a trip to Phoenix AZ from Buffalo NY next month. After watching four airlines file bankruptcy and others ground flights over maintenance issues, they are now going to drive. What was going to be a week long vacation in Phoenix is being cut short by travel time now because of a new found fear of flying. Its really a fear of paying to fly and not doing so. American Airlines is spending countless man hours and who knows how much money in putting passengers in hotels and paying for meals and ...