Traveling CareGivers

Archive for the ‘Travel Alearts’ Category

Home For The Holidays—Phoenix Travel Companions Assist With Elder Travel

By Captain Gary Bates, Trans World Airlines retired

In this article:

Travel becomes difficult for an aging population

Booking a flight and getting to the plane

During the flight and arriving at the destination

How Travel Companions Assist with Elder Travel

Customizing Travel for Seniors

How Travel Companions Can Get You There When The Family Can’t

Holidays are a special time, filled with memories of the past and lots of family fun. Getting the family together becomes more and more difficult as we age. Holiday travel is the heaviest and most confusing time for anyone and especially difficult for elder travel. Seniors separated from family members come to a point where it is just too much hassle and even unsafe to try to travel to family gatherings by themselves.

As an aging population, and travel becoming more high tech, senior travel becomes an even greater challenge. Seniors stop traveling because of a variety of factors.

• Mobility difficulty, walkers, wheelchairs or just moving slowly
• Anxiety
• Impaired judgment and trusting strangers
• Difficulty seeing and hearing at airports
• Loss of balance
• Personal assistance needed during travel
• Confusion during the security process
• Handling baggage
• Possible flight cancelations
• Being forced to stay overnight at a connection airport
• Rebooking missed connections
• Vulnerability to theft

Booking a flight and getting to the plane

Air travel today is fast, efficient and safe unless you are impaired by some of the above problems. When we bring grandma home for Christmas or Hanukkah, we can find a flight and book space for her. Maybe she can get help getting to the departure airport, but the steps in getting to her seat on the airplane can be daunting. Will she check her bags at the curb or at the ticket counter? Can she navigate escalators and long walkways with a cane or walker? Can she arrange for a wheelchair? Can she work the credit card scanner to get a boarding pass and get through security? The potential for problems are endless.

During the flight and arriving at the destination

All too often seniors are sent on flights alone where they need a lot of assistance. They can become confused or embarrassed by situations that you or I would not think twice about. Simple things like handling a broken seat, getting a drink of water of navigating the lavatory and toilet can be overwhelming to someone who is confused, can’t hear or is anxious. Seniors frequently say, “I don’t want to be a bother to the flight attendant”, or “they are probably too busy” so I’ll just put up with my problem. Over the years I have seen many wet seat cushions because of this kind of thinking. Now the senior feels embarrassed and looses the joy of the journey.

When a flight is canceled at a connection point or worse yet, is diverted to an alternate airport, confusion reigns. The passenger lines are long and tempers can flare. Is there another flight today or are we getting a voucher for a hotel and meals? This is no place for a senior alone who is a little confused and slow to start with.

I once had a flight to Baltimore which diverted to Pittsburg because Baltimore closed in snow. Because of delays it was after midnight at Pittsburg and most of the airport staff had gone home. Here we were with a plane load of people including children traveling alone and some elders who were lost and waiting for help and direction. Imagine being stuck at an airport that is mostly closed in the winter and in the snow.

Our flight crew rose to the occasion finding hotel rooms, and arranging vans to the hotel.

Now, for the unaccompanied children (even up to 16 years old) and elders. After arranging for rooms, the flight crew, flight attendants and pilots, helped make phone calls to the worried parents of the children and families of the stranded seniors in Baltimore.

Some seniors have cell phones, however they can become confused with poor reception, retrieving messages, or just keeping it charged. Cell phones can become a false sense of security for the senior and the family at home.

All ended well and everyone got to their destination the next day. If it were not for this flight crew going way above and beyond their duties, the evening would not have ended as well as it did.

Travel Companions Assist with Elder Travel

Phoenix Travel Companions are available to assist seniors to the airport and onto the plane, travel with them all the way to the destination, or provide caregiving for the entire trip.

In the problem areas listed above I have seen Professional Travel Companions

Smoothly and professionally handle everything for their elder travel clients.

Beginning with planning the trip, to avoiding potential problems on board, to arrival at the destination, Travel Companions can handle everything.

• Trip planning
• Transport to the airport including wheelchair lift vans
• Navigating the airport, check-in, getting through security faster, restroom stops,

boarding the plane early to allow extra time

• Assistance on the plane, appropriate seats, meals and drinks, help with the lavatory and personal needs, deplaning at destination
• Navigate through arrival airport, claiming baggage and arranging transportation

Customizing Travel for Seniors

It is important for your trip planning to be appropriate for elder travel.

Some considerations for senior travel planning:

• Planning travel on less busy days to minimize confusion and delays, travel a day or two early for a more relaxing flight
• Appropriate packing, what should we have in carry on bag?
• A comfortable place to wait for the flight
• The best time of day for departure and arrival
• The number of stops and allowing connection time
• Seat selection on board, no emergency rows, choose isle or window, bulkhead rows may help or hurt, the last row seat in a cabin may not recline
• Meals, snacks and drinks on the way, proper hydration is critical
• Medication access and reminders
• Supplemental oxygen may make all the difference at altitude
• Mark bags to easily recognize bags at baggage claim
• Planning transfer to destination on arrival
• Enjoying the rest of the vacation

Travel Companions Can Get You There When The Family Can’t

Sometimes the time off from work for family members is limited. Elder Travel Companions can handle the traveling so that the family can spend all their time together for the holidays. If you just have 3 or 4 days off from work for a holiday, you don’t have to spend your precious time traveling. Let your traveling caregiver bring your elder family member to you ahead of time so you can spend all of your days off enjoying family time together at home.

Your Phoenix travel companion can provide transportation services, or provide caregiving for the senior for the entire time. This may be very helpful for weddings or family reunions where the family is pressed for time and need help with caregiving. The idea of a family reunion is for everyone to relax and enjoy each others company.

For an Elder Travel Assistant contact Care To Go at 800-818-0407 or at www.caretogotravel.com

Phoenix Travel Companion Reports Southwest-AirTran deal means more options for some

By SAMANTHA BOMKAMP, AP Airlines Writer – Mon Sep 27, 11:30 pm ET

NEW YORK – Southwest’s decision to buy AirTran will mean more routes and fewer delays and cancellations in small cities but higher fares in the Northeast and perhaps the end of the super-low sale fare.

Southwest Airlines, which has built a loyal following with its tongue-in-cheek ads and refusal to charge for checked bags, said Monday it planned to buy AirTran for $1.4 billion.

The deal will move Southwest into 37 new cities, expand its presence in cities like New York and Boston and move it into Atlanta, the busiest airport in the nation.

Combining the AirTran and Southwest routes means more connecting options for people flying through places like Moline, Ill., and Wichita, Kan., which should result in fewer delays and cancellations because there will be more options for rerouting passengers.

In bigger cities like the Northeast hubs, however, fares will probably eventually go up. They may not rise right away because many of those cities are still served by a third discounter, JetBlue Airways, said fare expert George Hobica.

The acquisition may also spell the end of the deep-discount sales currently offered by AirTran and Southwest because there will be less competition. Right now, for example, AirTran is offering a $54 one-way fare between Baltimore and Boston.

"The era of irrational, stupid, destructive fare sales is over," Hobica said. "This is the new normal. JetBlue now has permission to raise prices between Baltimore and Boston. Other airlines now have permission to raise prices between Washington, D.C., and Florida."

In welcome news for weary travelers, Southwest said it will drop AirTran’s bag fees when the pair combine in 2012. Right now, AirTran charges $20 for the first checked bag, $25 for the second.

Some major airlines charge even more. Southwest claims it has lured passengers by refusing to charge for bags, and it has built a marketing campaign around the policy, with baggage handlers shouting declarations of love to suitcases on the tarmac.

The combined airline probably won’t be large enough to pressure big competitors like United and American to give up the hundreds of millions of dollars a year they make from baggage fees, airline analyst Jay Sorensen said.

While Southwest will be about 25 percent larger when the deal is complete, it will remain the fourth-largest by traffic. The upcoming combination of United and Continental will be No. 1, followed by Delta and the parent of American.

Southwest will move into Atlanta, the only major business hub it doesn’t already serve. Business travelers are key to airlines because they tend to pay higher fares. In an interview with The Associated Press, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said Atlanta was a "gaping hole in our route system."

Southwest also gains routes to Mexico and the Caribbean, where JetBlue has a big presence.

The buyout is the latest in a wave of consolidation in the airline industry. Continental and United will topple Delta as the largest airline in the world when they combine this week. Delta got the title when it bought Northwest in 2008. In the past 10 years, 10 major airlines have paired off, leaving five fewer.

The deal will leave only four major airlines without suitors: American, US Airways, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines. Several experts suggest the unexpected Southwest deal will pressure American to tie up with US Airways, or possibly JetBlue.

AirTran was founded in 1992 as ValuJet Airlines. It was renamed after the 1996 crash of ValuJet Flight 592 into the Florida Everglades, which killed all 110 people on board. It would be Southwest’s largest acquisition by far.

Southwest founder Herb Kelleher, a cigarette-smoking, Wild Turkey-drinking Texas lawyer, revolutionized the airline industry in the 1970s by offering low fares to leisure travelers out of secondary airports. Early on, the airline drew customers by passing out booze and putting flight attendants in hot pants.

The company, which began with a handful of planes hopping among three Texas cities, bought Morris Air and Muse Air in the mid-1980s. Two years ago, it bought assets of ATA Airlines out of bankruptcy and began limited service to and from New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

Last year, Southwest tried unsuccessfully to buy Frontier Airlines out of bankruptcy. Republic AirwaysHoldings won the auction instead and bought it for $109 million.

Southwest’s acquisition of AirTran is expected to close in the first half of next year. It requires both regulatory and shareholder approval.

Based on Southwest Airlines’ closing share price on Friday, the deal is worth $7.69 per AirTran share. That’s a 69 percent premium over its closing price of $4.55. AirTran shares jumped 62 percent to $7.36, while Southwest shares rose $1.73 to $14.01.

Southwest will pay about $670 million with available cash and assume $2 billion in AirTran debt. Southwest and AirTran said the new airline will operate from more than 100 different airports and serve more than 100 million customers.

The eldery who need Travel Companions to assist them can contact www.CareToGoTravel.com

___

Airport Check-in: Scanner would let fliers keep shoes on at security

Removing shoes at and airport security check point has gotten routine for the regular travelers, but remains a hustle for elder travelers. When traveling with an Elder Travel Companion, removing shoes may not be such a big deal as traveling alone.

New shoe scanners may eliminate the need to remove shoes altogether, Yea!

Now your Travel Companion Caregiver can help you with all the other items being searched.

By Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY

From USA TODAY’s Airport Check-in column: A company vying to sell airport shoe scanners has finished its "trial" at Indianapolis International, collecting results from 3,000 travelers who volunteered to try its machine in the lobby.

Morpho Detection says its data-collection experiment, which ended in late July, showed its scanner can process more than 300 customers an hour. Travelers still had to remove their shoes at the airport’s security checkpoints.

Morpho says it’ll use the data to fine-tune machines and submit it to the Transportation Security Administration.

TSA wants to revive the idea of allowing travelers to keep their shoes on at checkpoints and has announced its plans to buy 100 shoe scanners by next year. About a dozen companies hope to bid for the business. — Roger Yu

When you could use some assistance while traveling, try a Travel Companion from Care-To-Go.  In Home CareGivers are also available from Care-To-Go in the Phoenix area.

Backlash grows against full-body scanners in airports

As the TSA  airports try to get a handle on quick and efficient scanning at security checkpoints, new machines may not be the answer.

Our Elder Travel Companions from Phoenix and Scottsdale report longer security delays and frazzled nerves at full body scan airports.  Our seniors in wheel chairs are not subject to this screening and will continue to be checked as usual.  The Travel Companion CareGiver can be a great asset in transiting airport security.

By Gary Stoller, USA TODAY

Opposition to new full-body imaging machines to screen passengers and the government’s deployment of them at most major airports is growing.

Many frequent fliers complain they’re time-consuming or invade their privacy. The world’s airlines say they shouldn’t be used for primary security screening. And questions are being raised about possible effects on passengers’ health.

"The system takes three to five times as long as walking through a metal detector," says Phil Bush of Atlanta, one of many fliers on USA TODAY’s Road Warriors panel who oppose the machines. "This looks to be yet another disaster waiting to happen."

BODY SCANNERS: Concerns about privacy and health set off debate

The machines — dubbed by some fliers as virtual strip searches — were installed at many airports in March after a Christmas Day airline bombing attempt. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has spent more than $80 million for about 500 machines, including 133 now at airports. It plans to install about 1,000 by the end of next year.

The machines are running into complaints and questions here and overseas:

•The International Air Transport Association, which represents 250 of the world’s airlines, including major U.S. carriers, says the TSA lacks "a strategy and a vision" of how the machines fit into a comprehensive checkpoint security plan. "The TSA is putting the cart before the horse," association spokesman Steve Lott says.

•Security officials in Dubai said this month they wouldn’t use the machines because they violate "personal privacy," and information about their "side effects" on health isn’t known.

•Last month, the European Commission said in a report that "a rigorous scientific assessment" of potential health risks is needed before machines are deployed there. It also said screening methods besides the new machines should be used on pregnant women, babies, children and people with disabilities.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office said in October that the TSA was deploying the machines without fully testing them and assessing whether they could detect "threat items" concealed on various parts of the body. And in March, the office said it "remains unclear" whether they would have detected the explosives that police allege Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to detonate on a jet bound for Detroit on Christmas.

TSA spokeswoman Kristin Lee says the agency completed testing at the end of last year and is "highly confident" in the machines’ detection capability. She also says their use hasn’t slowed screening at airports and that the agency has taken steps to ensure privacy and safety.

The TSA is deploying two types of machines that can see underneath clothing. One uses a high-speed X-ray beam, and the other bounces electromagnetic waves off a passenger’s body.

Passengers can refuse screening by the machines and receive a pat-down search by a security officer, screening by a metal detector, or both, the TSA says.

For more information on an Elder Travel Companion go to CareToGoTravel.com and for Phoenix in home care caregiver see Care-To-Go.com

Backlash grows against full-body scanners in airports

As the TSA  airports try to get a handle on quick and efficient scanning at security checkpoints, new machines may not be the answer.

Our Elder Travel Companions from Phoenix and Scottsdale report longer security delays and frazzled nerves at full body scan airports.  Our seniors in wheel chairs are not subject to this screening and will continue to be checked as usual.  The Travel Companion CareGiver can be a great asset in transiting airport security.

By Gary Stoller, USA TODAY

Opposition to new full-body imaging machines to screen passengers and the government’s deployment of them at most major airports is growing.

Many frequent fliers complain they’re time-consuming or invade their privacy. The world’s airlines say they shouldn’t be used for primary security screening. And questions are being raised about possible effects on passengers’ health.

"The system takes three to five times as long as walking through a metal detector," says Phil Bush of Atlanta, one of many fliers on USA TODAY’s Road Warriors panel who oppose the machines. "This looks to be yet another disaster waiting to happen."

BODY SCANNERS: Concerns about privacy and health set off debate

The machines — dubbed by some fliers as virtual strip searches — were installed at many airports in March after a Christmas Day airline bombing attempt. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has spent more than $80 million for about 500 machines, including 133 now at airports. It plans to install about 1,000 by the end of next year.

The machines are running into complaints and questions here and overseas:

•The International Air Transport Association, which represents 250 of the world’s airlines, including major U.S. carriers, says the TSA lacks "a strategy and a vision" of how the machines fit into a comprehensive checkpoint security plan. "The TSA is putting the cart before the horse," association spokesman Steve Lott says.

•Security officials in Dubai said this month they wouldn’t use the machines because they violate "personal privacy," and information about their "side effects" on health isn’t known.

•Last month, the European Commission said in a report that "a rigorous scientific assessment" of potential health risks is needed before machines are deployed there. It also said screening methods besides the new machines should be used on pregnant women, babies, children and people with disabilities.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office said in October that the TSA was deploying the machines without fully testing them and assessing whether they could detect "threat items" concealed on various parts of the body. And in March, the office said it "remains unclear" whether they would have detected the explosives that police allege Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to detonate on a jet bound for Detroit on Christmas.

TSA spokeswoman Kristin Lee says the agency completed testing at the end of last year and is "highly confident" in the machines’ detection capability. She also says their use hasn’t slowed screening at airports and that the agency has taken steps to ensure privacy and safety.

The TSA is deploying two types of machines that can see underneath clothing. One uses a high-speed X-ray beam, and the other bounces electromagnetic waves off a passenger’s body.

Passengers can refuse screening by the machines and receive a pat-down search by a security officer, screening by a metal detector, or both, the TSA says.

For more information on an Elder Travel Companion go to CareToGoTravel.com and for Phoenix in home care caregiver see Care-To-Go.com

Cruising has always been a favorite vacation especially among seniors. A lot of cruise ship companies start Caribbean trips in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and San Juan, Pureto Rico. To date Miami has been the largest. Now it looks like Ft Lauderdale may take over the top rank.

Travel Companions from Care-To-Go have started trips at all three and have noted that Ft. Lauderdale is easier to access. Miami may be bigger with more flights and San Juan will start you a day further along on your trip, but Ft. Lauderdale remains our favorite. When Carnival launched their “largest ship in the world” it was staged from Ft. Lauderdale.

The following article appeared in Travel Weekly.

Also see Cruise Discounts Now at CareToGoTravel.com

Cruise Capital Miami Could Lose That Crown To Fort Lauderdale

By: Johanna Jainchill June 15, 2010

Could Miami, the indisputable "cruise capital of the world" since Ted Arison launched Carnival Cruise Lines from the port in 1972, soon find itself losing that title to a city better known for yachting and spring breakers?

Slowly but surely, Fort Lauderdale has been luring the cruise industry’s newest and largest ships to its Port Everglades, 23 miles up the coast from Miami.
Royal Caribbean International picked Port Everglades to homeport its 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, as well as its sister ship, the Allure of the Seas, which is scheduled to arrive in November.
Combined, the two ships will bring about 1.2 million cruise passengers to Fort Lauderdale annually.
Next year, Miami will lose its current largest cruise ship to Port Everglades when Royal Caribbean’s 3,600-passenger Liberty of the Seas heads north.
Royal Caribbean’s parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., also chose Fort Lauderdale’s port for Celebrity Cruises’ first two 2,850-passenger Solstice-class ships, the Solstice and the Equinox.
In the meantime, the brands of Carnival Corp. recently guaranteed Port Everglades that they would bring 25.5 million cruise passengers to and from Fort Lauderdale over the next 15 years if the port made significant improvements to its four existing cruise terminals.
Port Everglades was happy to oblige, just as it eagerly invested $75 million in building what is now the world’s largest cruise terminal, Terminal 18, to accommodate the Oasis, in exchange for guarantees that Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara Club Cruises would be tenants for at least 10 years.
All this from a port that didn’t begin hosting major cruise ships until the 1990s.
According to the Florida Ports Council, by 2013 Port Everglades and the Port of Miami will be tied at 4.3 million cruise passengers each. (Click on the chart for a view of cruise passengers at each port.)
Port Everglades, however, believes that its long-term contracts with RCCL and Carnival Corp. will enable it to surpass Miami sometime in 2012, once the Allure has been sailing at capacity for a full year.
"It’s the case of the tortoise about to beat the hare," said Stewart Chiron, CEO of Miami-based CruiseGuy.com.
Allen, who took his position in 2005, noted that the trend is clearly in his port’s direction. Between 2006 and 2010, he noted, Port Everglades captured 70% of the growth in the Caribbean cruise market out of South Florida.
Last year, Port Everglades saw its number of multiday cruise passengers increase by 200,000, and that was before the Oasis launched service. "The new ships are coming here," Allen said.
To his point, besides the Oasis-class, the two Solstice-class ships, the new Seabourn Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships and the Ruby Princess all launched service from Port Everglades.
When it arrives this month to launch Caribbean service, the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Epic will be the first new class of cruise ship since Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas to be introduced in Miami. It will be joined by the third Solstice-class ship, the Eclipse, next winter. But neither is staying year-round.
And when the Liberty of the Seas leaves Miami, Royal Caribbean might not be launching a seven-day cruise to the Caribbean from Miami for the first time in 40 years.
Miami’s port director, Bill Johnson, dismissed such concerns, saying, "Cruise capital of the world" is a "tired title," even though the slogan appears on his port’s website.
"The Port of Miami is doing quite well," he said. "We have the three major cruise lines and are doing 1 million passengers with each of them. Those are significant numbers that no other port can boast. We are the world leader and always have been."
Johnson acknowledged that Port Everglades’ getting the Oasis ships was a "game-changer" but said that Miami was still No. 1, pointing to the record-breaking 4.1 million passengers who passed through the port last year. In contrast, Port Everglades said that in 2009 it got 3.4 million cruise passengers, pre-Oasis.
"Competition is good," Johnson said. "If Port Everglades is successful, South Florida is successful. If they are able to grow, I’m able to grow."
Maybe so, but Port Everglades is clearly growing at a faster rate than Miami is.
Johnson said that cruise traffic at his port has been "steady." But it has remained steady as the industry has grown rapidly.
The cruise industry introduced 14 new ships in 2009, none of which debuted in the "cruise capital of the world."
Chiron, of CruiseGuy.com, said that Miami’s inability to capture that market share has hurt the local economy.
"Miami has continued to lose ground to Everglades over the years, with no response," he said.
It was the Oasis that seriously tipped momentum to Port Everglades. An economic impact study found that within five years, an estimated 8,012 jobs would be produced by the project, generating $356.5 million in personal income and $32.8 million in state and local taxes.
"When you have two ships with $3 billion of corporate investment, adding 6,000 passengers twice a week to the Caribbean market, you are significantly impacting the marketplace," Port Everglades’ Allen said. "When you have that kind of investment, you want to put it in a location capable of handling the vessels."
The Oasis was the first ship Royal Caribbean introduced at a port outside Miami, even though RCCL Chairman Richard Fain has famously said that he likes to look out his Miami window and see his ships docked at the port.
One reason Miami didn’t get the Oasis was space. Port Everglades offered to build a new terminal, while Miami was only able to refurbish existing terminals.
"A challenge for the Port of Miami is that it’s a landlocked port," said Mark Ittel, vice president of ports and maritime for Bermello Ajamil and Partners, a cruise terminal design firm based in Miami. The company works with both ports. "It has very little room for expansion. Port Everglades has the room now."
Royal Caribbean’s vice president of port operations, Juan Trescastro, concurred.
"At end of the day, the best financial deal for us was the Port Everglades deal," he said. "Miami would have done a fine job, but the thought of having a brand-new terminal with all the new bells and whistles was the icing on the cake."
Trescastro added that the new terminal enabled Port Everglades to introduce passenger-flow concepts that proved to be an essential part of the Oasis experience.
"Our mantra became, how could we be as innovative on the landside as we were on the shipside?" he said. "We are driving innovation and changes in the way we process our guests prior to getting on the ship."
For cruise lines, the overall balance of port capacity is a good thing.
"They need both of these ports to be successful in order for the cruise industry to thrive," Ittel said. "They want to see them both competing."
That competition means better port facilities. The financial benefit that cruise ships can bring to a port means improved facilities around the world.
"The ports have started to realize that if they have better infrastructure and do certain things, the ships will come," Trescastro said. "In the past … we were more of a nuisance than a benefit. Now, they realize the true economic benefit of the cruise industry to the destination."
Miami has learned that lesson. Only three years ago, former Carnival Cruise Lines CEO Bob Dickinson publicly called Miami a "third-world" port.
Johnson had only recently taken his post at the time, and since then the port has invested $100 million in its Carnival facilities and has spent $17 million to refurbish the terminal for the Norwegian Epic.
"All ports want bragging rights: the name of the newest ship or the size of a ship," Johnson said.
"But if you want to retain market share, you have to focus on the basics. At the Port of Miami we have a sound business model, and we are focused on service to the lines and the passengers."
This report appeared in the June 14 issue of Travel Weekly.

Cruising has always been a favorite vacation especially among seniors. A lot of cruise ship companies start Caribbean trips in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and San Juan, Pureto Rico. To date Miami has been the largest. Now it looks like Ft Lauderdale may take over the top rank.

Travel Companions from Care-To-Go have started trips at all three and have noted that Ft. Lauderdale is easier to access. Miami may be bigger with more flights and San Juan will start you a day further along on your trip, but Ft. Lauderdale remains our favorite. When Carnival launched their “largest ship in the world” it was staged from Ft. Lauderdale.

The following article appeared in Travel Weekly.

Cruise Capital Miami Could Lose That Crown To Fort Lauderdale

By: Johanna Jainchill June 15, 2010

Could Miami, the indisputable "cruise capital of the world" since Ted Arison launched Carnival Cruise Lines from the port in 1972, soon find itself losing that title to a city better known for yachting and spring breakers?

Slowly but surely, Fort Lauderdale has been luring the cruise industry’s newest and largest ships to its Port Everglades, 23 miles up the coast from Miami.
Royal Caribbean International picked Port Everglades to homeport its 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, as well as its sister ship, the Allure of the Seas, which is scheduled to arrive in November.
Combined, the two ships will bring about 1.2 million cruise passengers to Fort Lauderdale annually.
Next year, Miami will lose its current largest cruise ship to Port Everglades when Royal Caribbean’s 3,600-passenger Liberty of the Seas heads north.
Royal Caribbean’s parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., also chose Fort Lauderdale’s port for Celebrity Cruises’ first two 2,850-passenger Solstice-class ships, the Solstice and the Equinox.
In the meantime, the brands of Carnival Corp. recently guaranteed Port Everglades that they would bring 25.5 million cruise passengers to and from Fort Lauderdale over the next 15 years if the port made significant improvements to its four existing cruise terminals.
Port Everglades was happy to oblige, just as it eagerly invested $75 million in building what is now the world’s largest cruise terminal, Terminal 18, to accommodate the Oasis, in exchange for guarantees that Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara Club Cruises would be tenants for at least 10 years.
All this from a port that didn’t begin hosting major cruise ships until the 1990s.
According to the Florida Ports Council, by 2013 Port Everglades and the Port of Miami will be tied at 4.3 million cruise passengers each. (Click on the chart for a view of cruise passengers at each port.)
Port Everglades, however, believes that its long-term contracts with RCCL and Carnival Corp. will enable it to surpass Miami sometime in 2012, once the Allure has been sailing at capacity for a full year.
"It’s the case of the tortoise about to beat the hare," said Stewart Chiron, CEO of Miami-based CruiseGuy.com.
Allen, who took his position in 2005, noted that the trend is clearly in his port’s direction. Between 2006 and 2010, he noted, Port Everglades captured 70% of the growth in the Caribbean cruise market out of South Florida.
Last year, Port Everglades saw its number of multiday cruise passengers increase by 200,000, and that was before the Oasis launched service. "The new ships are coming here," Allen said.
To his point, besides the Oasis-class, the two Solstice-class ships, the new Seabourn Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships and the Ruby Princess all launched service from Port Everglades.
When it arrives this month to launch Caribbean service, the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Epic will be the first new class of cruise ship since Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas to be introduced in Miami. It will be joined by the third Solstice-class ship, the Eclipse, next winter. But neither is staying year-round.
And when the Liberty of the Seas leaves Miami, Royal Caribbean might not be launching a seven-day cruise to the Caribbean from Miami for the first time in 40 years.
Miami’s port director, Bill Johnson, dismissed such concerns, saying, "Cruise capital of the world" is a "tired title," even though the slogan appears on his port’s website.
"The Port of Miami is doing quite well," he said. "We have the three major cruise lines and are doing 1 million passengers with each of them. Those are significant numbers that no other port can boast. We are the world leader and always have been."
Johnson acknowledged that Port Everglades’ getting the Oasis ships was a "game-changer" but said that Miami was still No. 1, pointing to the record-breaking 4.1 million passengers who passed through the port last year. In contrast, Port Everglades said that in 2009 it got 3.4 million cruise passengers, pre-Oasis.
"Competition is good," Johnson said. "If Port Everglades is successful, South Florida is successful. If they are able to grow, I’m able to grow."
Maybe so, but Port Everglades is clearly growing at a faster rate than Miami is.
Johnson said that cruise traffic at his port has been "steady." But it has remained steady as the industry has grown rapidly.
The cruise industry introduced 14 new ships in 2009, none of which debuted in the "cruise capital of the world."
Chiron, of CruiseGuy.com, said that Miami’s inability to capture that market share has hurt the local economy.
"Miami has continued to lose ground to Everglades over the years, with no response," he said.
It was the Oasis that seriously tipped momentum to Port Everglades. An economic impact study found that within five years, an estimated 8,012 jobs would be produced by the project, generating $356.5 million in personal income and $32.8 million in state and local taxes.
"When you have two ships with $3 billion of corporate investment, adding 6,000 passengers twice a week to the Caribbean market, you are significantly impacting the marketplace," Port Everglades’ Allen said. "When you have that kind of investment, you want to put it in a location capable of handling the vessels."
The Oasis was the first ship Royal Caribbean introduced at a port outside Miami, even though RCCL Chairman Richard Fain has famously said that he likes to look out his Miami window and see his ships docked at the port.
One reason Miami didn’t get the Oasis was space. Port Everglades offered to build a new terminal, while Miami was only able to refurbish existing terminals.
"A challenge for the Port of Miami is that it’s a landlocked port," said Mark Ittel, vice president of ports and maritime for Bermello Ajamil and Partners, a cruise terminal design firm based in Miami. The company works with both ports. "It has very little room for expansion. Port Everglades has the room now."
Royal Caribbean’s vice president of port operations, Juan Trescastro, concurred.
"At end of the day, the best financial deal for us was the Port Everglades deal," he said. "Miami would have done a fine job, but the thought of having a brand-new terminal with all the new bells and whistles was the icing on the cake."
Trescastro added that the new terminal enabled Port Everglades to introduce passenger-flow concepts that proved to be an essential part of the Oasis experience.
"Our mantra became, how could we be as innovative on the landside as we were on the shipside?" he said. "We are driving innovation and changes in the way we process our guests prior to getting on the ship."
For cruise lines, the overall balance of port capacity is a good thing.
"They need both of these ports to be successful in order for the cruise industry to thrive," Ittel said. "They want to see them both competing."
That competition means better port facilities. The financial benefit that cruise ships can bring to a port means improved facilities around the world.
"The ports have started to realize that if they have better infrastructure and do certain things, the ships will come," Trescastro said. "In the past … we were more of a nuisance than a benefit. Now, they realize the true economic benefit of the cruise industry to the destination."
Miami has learned that lesson. Only three years ago, former Carnival Cruise Lines CEO Bob Dickinson publicly called Miami a "third-world" port.
Johnson had only recently taken his post at the time, and since then the port has invested $100 million in its Carnival facilities and has spent $17 million to refurbish the terminal for the Norwegian Epic.
"All ports want bragging rights: the name of the newest ship or the size of a ship," Johnson said.
"But if you want to retain market share, you have to focus on the basics. At the Port of Miami we have a sound business model, and we are focused on service to the lines and the passengers."
This report appeared in the June 14 issue of Travel Weekly.

Cruises have always been a favorite trip for Seniors. Balmy air, tropical swaying trees, soft steel drum music,; what’s not to like. Aside from the great ambiance in the Caribbean, Bahamas or Mexico, there are several reasons to choose a cruise over other types of vacation for Seniors. First, It is a place totally geared for all the seniors needs including food, activities, house keeping and medical services. It is so ni9ce to unpack once and watch the world pass by.

We all know that vacation tour prices including Cruises vary greatly. If you book through a travel agent, the Cruise Company, Orbits or a bulk Cruise buyer, the price varies greatly. When using a Travel Companion these prices can be easily compared and you can pick the best deal for you.

Speaking of a Travel Companion, you can now take a personal travel assistant with you to be sure that the trip goes smoothly. Your personal travel companion can travel with you all the way from your door and back again. How nice would it be to have professional assistance through the airport and flight, on the cruise and back again. One company providing Personal Travel Companions can be found at http://Care-To-Go.com

Here is an article explaining more about booking discount Cruises as reported by AARP

Low bookings for the cruise lines means a shipload of savings for you

Don’t let the storm-tossed economy discourage you from sailing on a cruise. With fewer people booking passage and more (and bigger) cruise ships being launched, cruising has become a buyer’s market. Here’s how to find the lowest fare at the best time.

Look for bulk buyers
Check out cruise consolidators, which buy large blocks of cabins from the cruise lines at a deep discount. Most of the deals don’t include airfare, but the savings are significant, and companies such as CruiseOne.com, CruiseBrothers.com, and Cruise.com feature dozens of discounted cruises around the world every week.

Don’t shrug off "shoulder season"
Rates are lower between peak and off-peak seasons, when fewer people are escaping winter. Try sailing to Alaska in mid-May or early September; to the Caribbean in late April or September and October; to Hawaii in late August, late November, February, or May; or to the Mediterranean in March or November.

Check the school calendar
Avoid any time kids are on vacation, such as spring or summer break. That’s when the supply of empty cabins is usually the lowest—and prices for them are highest. Cruises are wildly affordable right after Labor Day and during the week after Thanksgiving, for example.

Wait…Wait… Okay, now book it!
If you don’t have a specific cruise date in mind, try waiting until the last minute to book online. Almost all cruise lines quietly unload any remaining inventory as the departure date draws closer. Note: "Last minute" doesn’t mean what it used to. Post-9/11 security regulations require cruise lines to close the list of passengers as much as 96 hours before sailing.

Keep That Sail a Sale

Cruise lines don’t make a profit on your cabin, so they try to separate you from your money the second they pull up the gangplank. Here’s how to keep your budget afloat.

Factor in tipping
Some cruise lines automatically add gratuities, while others still rely on passengers to make that decision. One helpful resource is cruisetip.tpkeller.com, which calculates the suggested tip per day for each major cruise line.

Stick with the main dining room
More and more cruise ships have specialty—restaurants to give passengers options beyond the cost—included main dining room and midnight buffet. But eating at one of the ships’ designer restaurants will run you extra: on Royal Caribbean International, for example, dinner at Chops Grille is $25 per guest.

Budget for booze
Don’t expect to bring your own. Most cruise lines frown on this, and some actually employ a "liquor retention team" to seize alcohol not purchased on board (the bottles are returned at the end of the cruise).

Airlines have begun charging for checked bags on flights. Some start at $20 for the first bag and $30 for the next bag. Southwest is still free for checked and carry on bags. Most passengers don’t like the extra charges added at the airport and would rather just have the ticket price be the total price for the flight.

Now Spirit Airlines has started a new high in lows! They want to charge $45 for a carry on bag. Doesn’t everyone take bags on a trip? Of course they do. These added fees are just a rip off and an annoyance to the traveling public.

The following article appeared in Business week.

Click here to see how a Travel Companion from CareToGoTravel.com can help you navigate through these charges.

(Adds Spirit’s response in ninth paragraph, Hawaiian Airlines chief starting in 13th.)

By Jeff Plungis

April 13 (Bloomberg) — Two Democratic U.S. senators introduced legislation that would ban airlines from charging fees for bags carried aboard planes one week after Spirit Airlines Inc. became the first carrier to announce a charge.

The legislation by Senators Benjamin Cardin of Maryland and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana would assure that items essential to people’s health, work and safety can be carried on board without extra fees, according to a statement today. The bill also would require advance notice of special fees for checked items, according to the statement.

“Only one airline has announced plans to charge for carry- on item fees, but we cannot allow these flood gates to open,” Landrieu said in the statement.

Carrying a bag onto a Spirit flight will cost passengers $45 at the gate, or $30 if paid in advance, starting in August, the Miramar, Florida-based discount carrier said in an April 6 statement. Customers paying the fee will board first and all travelers can carry, without charge, small personal items such as a purse or briefcase that fit under the seat.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in an April 8 interview with travel writer Christopher Elliott, said he would hold Spirit’s “feet to the fire” over fees, especially in efforts to ensure consumers understand what they’re paying.

“I think it’s a bit outrageous that an airline is going to charge someone to carry on a bag and put it in the overhead,” LaHood said. “I’ve told our people to try and figure out a way to mitigate that. I think it’s ridiculous.”

Fares Stagnating

Carriers are seeking revenue beyond tickets sales as fares last year stagnated at 1998 levels amid the recession, according to U.S. statistics. The five largest U.S. airlines will collect $1.76 billion for checking first and second bags, a $117 million increase from last year, according to a Jan. 20 report by Ideaworks, a Shorewoods, Wisconsin, consulting firm.

UAL Corp.’s United Airlines was the first major U.S. carrier to impose a fee in 2008 when it began charging for a second checked bag. Most major airlines charge at least $20 to check one bag and $30 for a second, and permit carry-on bags and personal items for free.

Spirit Airlines adjusted fares and fees to help speed up security lines, make boarding quicker and end a “carry-on bag crisis,” spokeswoman Misty Pinson said in an e-mail.

“Spirit is even further lowering fares, lowering checked bag fees, giving customers the option to carry-on a bag for a fee that includes priority boarding, and personal items are still free,” Pinson said.

Discount Club

Spirit said passengers signing up for its discount fare club, at a cost of $39.95 a year, will pay $20 for carry-on bags when they prepay using the Internet. The carrier is lowering fees for prepaid checked bags for club members, to $15 for the first and second bags from $19 for one and $25 for the second.

Cardin and Landrieu failed in a bid to add their bill as an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill that passed the Senate last month, the statement said.

Congress should avoid legislating fees as airline deregulation helped the industry lower fares and add flights, said Mark Dunkerley, chief executive officer of Hawaiian Holdings Inc., parent of Honolulu-based Hawaiian Airlines.     “You ought to allow all kinds of airlines to try new and innovative things to attract customers,” Dunkerley said in a telephone interview. “It’s important that legislation stay away from directing airlines what they can and cannot charge for.”

Watching Spirit

    Hawaiian has “no plans” to add a carry-on bag fee as it watches developments at Spirit “very closely,” he said.

Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, yesterday asked Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to use his power to declare carry-on luggage as a necessary part of air travel, which would subject the fees to a federal excise tax. The decision would discourage airlines from charging fees for bags, he said. If the Treasury Department doesn’t act, Schumer said he’d introduce legislation to have the same effect.

“Airline passengers have always had the right to bring a carry-on bag without having to worry about getting nickel and dimed by an airline company,” Schumer said. “The Treasury Department needs to close the loophole that encourages this abusive practice and rein in these fees.”

–With assistance from Mary Jane Credeur in Atlanta and John Hughes in Washington. Editors: Steve Geimann, Romaine Bostick.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jeff Plungis in Washington at jplungis@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Larry Liebert at lliebert@bloomberg.net

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