For a few years, Disney has been working on a unique and somewhat controversial resort concept: The Star Wars Galactic Cruiser. It’s a resort like no other, completely transporting guests into an epic story (and sequestering them away from the world for two days). It’s not just a hotel…it’s an experience. Now, Disney has announced that after much testing, the Galactic Starcruiser is finally open to the public. Guests will board a launch pod near the entrance of Disney’s Hollywood Studios that will take them to the Halcyon Starcruiser. Once onboard, their two-night adventure begins. It’s a completely immersive experience…
Author: Keith Langston
PLAY, Iceland’s new low-cost budget airline, is now offering flights to Orlando. Like the other Icelandic airlines, PLAY will also let passengers book a ticket to mainland Europe that includes a stopover in Iceland. Destinations available include Berlin, Dublin, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, London, and Paris. The airline will be offering some of the lowest transatlantic fares ever. When tickets went on sale February 23rd, a roundtrip ticket cost only $129 USD. The flights are operated on an A321neo and PLAY is banking on Orlando’s large base of leisure travelers. PLAY is also looking to tap into the large demand for European travel.…
Swiss International Air Lines, the flag carrier of Switzerland, has just announced that all 12 of their Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will be retrofitted to include a brand new Premium Economy cabin. According to a release from the airline, the seats will all be what’s called “hardshell”, meaning that they’re built into a casing similar to the way Business Class seats are. This way, when a passenger reclines, their seat doesn’t lean back into the person behind them. This will create a much more comfortable and private flying experience. The seats are also equipped with lots of excellent features, like large…
As Omicron cases continue to drop, cruise ships are ditching their mask mandates and are instead joining into the CDC’s voluntary COVID-19 action plan. It’s recently been reported that cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival are dropping their mask mandates. To ensure the safety of the passengers and crew once the masks come off, the CDC has created a new voluntary plan that cruise lines can opt-in to. So far, almost all of America’s cruise lines have, including Disney, Virgin, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, and more. The new plan designates a color-coding system for cruise ships – green,…
Doctors in Canada can now prescribe time spent outdoors to their patients for a variety of ailments. The reasoning, according to The Washington Post, is that a multitude of studies have started showing the promising health benefits of nature. Time spent outside has been known to lower stress hormones, create more stable heart rates, increase self-esteem, and even help lower anxiety. The goal is to prescribe fewer medications, and instead, more activities that will produce better, longer-lasting changes in people’s lives. As part of the measure, doctors can even prescribe tickets for park visits and season passes to Canada’s National…
According to various sources, including Deadline, both Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida will be dropping their mask mandates on Thursday, February 17th. This move comes just a week after Universal Studios in Florida lifted its mask mandate for guests (Universal Studios in LA is still currently requiring masks per Los Angeles County rules.) The parks claim that unvaccinated visitors still need to wear a mask, but obviously, the unvaccinated don’t care about rules and will never admit they’re unvaccinated, and Disney parks don’t check for proof of vaccination before entry, so essentially, the mask policy is…
Crystal Cruises was once lauded for its excellent smaller-ship cruising experiences and riverboat journeys. However, it was reported last week that two of their ships had been seized in the Bahamas for unpaid bills that totaled $4.6 million. The passengers were ferried to shore and the ships sailed down to Freeport where they were later seized. This was the first sign that something was wrong in the company. It was then revealed that the cruise line was shutting down for good. Even worse, crews were informed of this by video while on-board the ships. In a video posted to Twitter,…
Within the last week, a massive wave of cities, states, and nations have begun lifting their pandemic restrictions, leading many to ask, is this the end of COVID? The short answer is no. With how low the vaccination rates are (CNBC states that only 54% of the global population is vaccinated) it’s highly unlikely that we will ever live in a world without COVID again. However, that 54% combined with the fact that 406 million people across the planet have been infected (and that’s only reported cases, there are millions more that were never reported) it’s likely that we will…
A new list released by InsureMyTrip reveals that 60 countries now require visitors to obtain travel insurance. CNBC reports that the reasoning for requiring insurance varies by country, but that many have instated policies as a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as Belize. According to Travel + Leisure, Beginning Feb. 15, all international visitors must purchase an official travel insurance policy, according to a recent announcement from the Belize Tourism Board. The policy, costing $18, will cover up to $50,000 in COVID-19-related medical expenses and up to $2,000 for lodging expenses should a traveler need to quarantine in Belize. Some insurance policies…
‘The Kiss (Lovers)’ is one of the most famous paintings by legendary artist Gustav Klimt. Now, it’s on sale digitally as an NFT (Non-Fungible Token). The art piece will be broken up into a 100 x 100 grid, resulting in 10,000 unique digital images, all of which depict a small section of the painting. Buyers can register as owners of their piece on the platform thekiss.art, where the picture can be viewed in its entirety. The digital files went on sale January 26th for collectors and are available to the general public on February 14th. Pieces are being sold for…
America’s two ultra-budget airlines, Frontier and Spirit, have announced that they’re merging. According to CNBC, Frontier will be spearheading the merger and will hold 51.5% of the stock, effectively putting them in charge and likely meaning all Spirit planes will get rebranded with Frontier livery. The two airlines claim that the merger will be a win for consumers, who will now have “even better deals” and competitive pricing. According to the press release by the airlines, “Together, Frontier and Spirit expect to change the industry for the benefit of consumers, bringing more ultra-low fares to more travelers in more destinations…
So, you travel the world. You get upgraded thanks to your airline miles, and you’re pretty sure you know the world like the back of your hand. Well, let’s put that to the test. How many of these 10 travel questions can you get right? Are you a travel genius? Let’s find out! (answers at the bottom of page) 1.) Budget airline Jetstar operates throughout nations like Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Taiwan, and more, but it’s actually a subsidiary of which airline? A.) Singapore Airlines B.) Qantas C.) Malaysia Airlines D.) Cathay Pacific 2.) Before becoming…
The competition for the greenest airline has begun! United has announced its investment in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), JetBlue has started composting food waste at their flagship T5 terminal in New York City, and now, Delta is reducing the amount of single-use plastics on-board. While making subtle changes like removing plastic may not seem as flashy as using sustainable jet fuel, it’s actually a move that’s incredibly powerful and drastically needed to combat pollution, waste, and climate change. According to Delta, these small changes are going to remove 4.9 million pounds from landfills each year. So, what changes can passengers…
The world is a big, beautiful place, and for nature lovers North America is one of the best destinations in the world! The continent is a treasure trove of fascinating and exciting outdoor adventures. From a National Park celebrating its birthday to picture-perfect Canadian landscapes, here are five fantastic outdoor destinations to check out this year! YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK Yellowstone National Park, which encompasses land in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, is one of the most stunning and photographed places on the planet. In fact, there are so many famous spots in Yellowstone that it’s literally impossible to show them…
Expedia Group, the largest online travel agency, just released the finding from their annual travel survey, the Traveler Value Index, and the results look very promising for the future of sustainable travel. According to the findings: ~ 59% of travelers are willing to pay more for sustainable travel options ~ 49% of travelers are willing to visit less crowded destinations to reduce the effects of overtourism ~ 43% of travelers want to journey closer to home in order to lessen their carbon footprint The fact that almost 60% of travelers are willing to pay for sustainable options is a very…
You may have been hearing about 5G near airports and wondering what exactly is going on and if we need to be concerned The main issue at hand is that the Federal Airline Administration (FAA) and airline CEOs worry that active 5G networks near airports could cause massive problems for flights. The reason for this is that 5G uses C-band, which just happens to be on a frequency very similar to the one used by aircraft navigation equipment. The fear is that an airplane’s instruments could receive interference, thus causing issues and potential danger for the crew and passengers. According…
“I would hope that that’s the case, but that would only be the case if we don’t get another variant that eludes the immune response of the prior variant,” Dr. Fauci stated today. Scientists, however, seem to be split over the future of the coronavirus pandemic. Just last month, news outlets like CNBC had headlines reading “Omicron could burn through the U.S. and potentially hasten the Covid pandemic’s end, says expert”. As omicron rapidly continues its spread across the world, and as some Americans continue to refuse vaccinations (the country still sits at just 62% fully vaccinated, not including the…
For many travelers, the pandemic has instilled a lifelong change inside them. More travelers than ever report that exploring the outdoors, enjoying nature, and seeing wildlife is a top priority for their trips. This is excellent news because studies show that a connectedness with nature not only improves your mental health but also instills a deeper desire to help the planet. For many though, they love the idea of exploring the great outdoors during the day, but still want the luxuries of a great meal and a nice hotel at night. Luckily, America is filled with major cities that are…
Over the last two years, travel has become somewhat of a Wild West shootout, where nobody really knows where the bullets are coming from or where they’re going. The pandemic has brought with it endless (and ever-changing) rules, laws, travel bans, protocols, and restrictions. Making matters worse is that every country has its own set of (ever-changing) rules, making international travel a confusing and mind-boggling process. Luckily, Airheart, an upcoming travel site that allows travelers to build and share custom itineraries, has created a global dashboard giving you all the info you need about the various COVID restrictions being enforced…
Earlier this month, Lufthansa set the internet ablaze after announcing that it would have to fly around 18,000 “ghost flights” this winter in order to comply with Europe’s “use it or lose it” airport rule, which basically states that if an airline doesn’t use its gate slots at competitive airports, they will lose them. In order to keep their spots, airlines sometimes fly what are called “ghost flights”, meaning planes that are either empty or nearly empty, simply to ensure they keep their gate slots. The EU, however, doesn’t share Lufthansa’s concerns. According to Bloomberg, European Commission spokesman Stefan De Keersmaecker…