Travel Ideas

In retrospect, this decade may be known as a renaissance for cruise ship design. In an ongoing effort to lure more passengers to their hulls, cruise lines are racing into uncharted waters on a quest for bigger and better ships. In September 2009, Carnival unveiled its largest ship to date -- the 3,652-passenger Carnival Dream, and in the next two years cruise lines ranging from Norwegian to Disney will be debuting vessels, each more spectacular than the last.

Not everyone bustling through a crowded airport concourse is headed to a business power lunch or a leisurely Caribbean cruise. Some travelers, such as those heading to bereave a lost loved one or visit a sick relative, pack emotional baggage that can't be claimed on a luggage carousel. Even happy, healthy travelers can find themselves frustrated by the headaches of modern air travel-unforeseen fees, long security lines, and unpredictable delays.

Early next year, the next phase of the Transportation Security Administration's "Secure Flight" identity matching program will begin matching names on airline-issued boarding passes with passenger IDs at security checkpoints, according to a November 9th report in the New York Times. The new passenger verification measures will occur after airlines fully streamline reservations and other customer information, The Times reports.

Zagat recently announced the completion of its first survey at sea on November 12th, rating and ranking cruise lines to help consumers make informed vacation decisions.

The 4000-acre estate of Colombia's notorious cocaine kingpin Pablo Escabar is now an eccentric theme park and museum, according to a Fox News report on November 4th. Located between Bogota and Medellín, the theme park includes a bull ring, a private air strip, and the drug lord's classic car collection. The estate, called Hacienda Napoles, attracts 50,000 visitors a year, reports Fox News.