AOL Travel Ideas http://news.travel.aol.com AOL Travel Ideas http://news.travel.aol.com/media/feedlogo.gif AOL Travel Ideas http://news.travel.aol.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Pirate Museum Moves to New Florida Digshttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/15/pirate-museum-moves-to-new-florida-digs/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/15/pirate-museum-moves-to-new-florida-digs/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/15/pirate-museum-moves-to-new-florida-digs/#commentsFiled under:

pirate museum florida

St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum

Avast Ye Mateys! Fans of all things pirate will want to visit a newly opened museum in the historic Florida city of St. Augustine.

The St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum is the brainchild of former Philadelphia 76ers president Pat Croce, who has a passion for both basketball and pirates.

"It just happened when I was a kid. I fell in love with Errol Flynn and "Captain Blood" movies," Croce tells AOL Travel News. "I would write a skull and cross bones in notebooks, and the nuns would smack me. And I was a pirate for Halloween as a kid."

As his wealth grew from businesses, Croce, an entrepreneur and motivational speaker, started collecting pirate artifacts including one of only two original Jolly Roger flags known to exist (the other is in Finland), the only authentic pirate chest in America, a journal from Captain Kidd's last journey, and real weapons and pieces of eight.


St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum

About six years ago, Croce opened Pirate Soul in Key West to display his collection, with exhibits featuring not only memorabilia but Disney Imagineer-designed animatronics, interactive displays and technologies such as creepy 3-D sound, all used in an attempt to re-create the Golden Age of Piracy (1690-1730).

The museum was popular, but given Key West's somewhat remote location, hours from Miami, it didn't attract the family and school group tourist crowd that Croce was hoping for, he says. He decided to close up shop and move the museum to St. Augustine in northern Florida, the oldest city and port in the U.S.

"I love Key West. I have a home in Key West. But you go there to party. In St. Augustine, heritage is number one. And families go there."


St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum

The former museum's exhibits are back in the St. Augustine venue. But there are also new displays outlining local routes where famous pirates walked the streets, plundered and pillaged - Sir Francis Drake and Robert Searles even burnt St. Augustine to the ground in 1586 and 1688, respectively.

Added attractions at the new museum, which is located across from a 17th century fort, also include a participatory treasure hunt, 17th century cannons that fire (in electronically simulated fashion) and pirate movie memorabilia.

"We now have Hollywood pirates, props from "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Hook," and "The Goonies," Croce says. "I took it up a notch."

Movie items on display include Captain Jack Sparrow's sword and cursed Aztec coin and Captain Hook's hook.

Among nearly 800 museum-quality artifacts are borrowed historical items from the State of Florida collection including gold, rings, jewels and sword handles.

Croce is still collecting too.

"I just got some really cool coins from the 1715 fleet off the east coast of Florida," he says.



 

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]]>floridakey westmuseumspirate museumpirate+museum+floridapirate+museum+in+floridapiratemuseumfloridapiratemuseuminfloridast augustineFran Golden2011-04-15T14:00:00+00:00Is This the Most Luxurious Tourist Bus in the World?http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/14/is-this-the-most-luxurious-tourist-bus-in-the-world/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/14/is-this-the-most-luxurious-tourist-bus-in-the-world/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/14/is-this-the-most-luxurious-tourist-bus-in-the-world/#commentsFiled under:

superbus tourist bus

Les Van Lieshout, AFP/Getty Images

Travelers who feel tourist buses are an endurance test will no doubt be impressed by the aerodynamics and glamour, not to mention Batmobile-resemblance, of the futuristic electric Superbus.

The impressive vehicle, a cross between a bus and stretch limo, was shown off this week at a public transportation expo in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is being considered for a route between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The 49-foot Superbus was created over a seven-year period by a Dutch team at TU Delft University in the Netherlands. The team includes former astronaut Wubbo Ockels, a mission specialist on the Challenger space shuttle.

The bus can carry 23 passengers and is electric-powered. It was designed - at a cost approaching $18 million - to accommodate tourists and business commuters.


Les Van Lieshout, AFP/Getty Images

The Superbus is made of lightweight carbon fiber, powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries, and about the same length and width as a public bus, "but with the height of a conventional SUV," according to a press release. With its low air resistance, the six-wheel vehicle can reach speeds of 155mph.

The bus was displayed at the World Exhibition of the International Association of Public Transport, and during its time in the UAE will also be taken for a test drive by the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport.

The bus is being considered to run on a dedicated two-lane highway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

 

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]]>abu dhabidubaitourist busunited arab emiratesFran Golden2011-04-14T14:00:00+00:00FAA Official Resigns Over Sleeping Air Traffic Controllershttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/14/faa-official-resigns-over-sleeping-air-traffic-controllers/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/14/faa-official-resigns-over-sleeping-air-traffic-controllers/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/14/faa-official-resigns-over-sleeping-air-traffic-controllers/#commentsFiled under:

isafmedia/Flickr


In the wake of yet another case this week of an air traffic controller asleep on the job, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) official in charge of operating the nation's air traffic control system has resigned.

In a statement on the FAA's website, FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt says he met today with the official, Hank Krakowski, head of the FAA's Air Traffic Organization, and accepted his resignation.

"Over the last few weeks we have seen examples of unprofessional conduct on the part of a few individuals that have rightly caused the traveling public to question our ability to ensure their safety. This conduct must stop immediately," Babbitt says.

"Starting today, I have asked David Grizzle, FAA's chief counsel, to assume the role of acting ATO chief operating officer while we conduct a nationwide search to permanently fill the position. We are conducting a top to bottom review of the way we operate our air traffic control system," Babbitt adds. "We are all responsible and accountable for safety-from senior FAA leadership to the controller in the tower."

Yesterday, an air traffic controller in Reno, Nevada, was suspended for being asleep when a medical flight was trying to land. It was the fourth such time an air traffic controller was accused of sleeping on the job this month at a U.S. airport.


 

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]]>air traffic controlair traffic controllerfaafederal aviation administrationFran Golden2011-04-14T11:00:00+00:00TSA Gives Pat Down to 6-Year-Old Girl in New Orleanshttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/13/tsa-gives-pat-down-to-six-year-old-girl-in-new-orleans/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/13/tsa-gives-pat-down-to-six-year-old-girl-in-new-orleans/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/13/tsa-gives-pat-down-to-six-year-old-girl-in-new-orleans/#commentsFiled under:

tsa pat down six new orleans

youtube

A new video on YouTube is causing an uproar, as critics question why Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents at the New Orleans airport gave an intense pat-down to a 6-year-old girl.

The video shows a female TSA agent explaining the security procedure to the child's mother and then having the 6-year-old girl spread her arms and legs for the pat-down, which includes "sensitive areas," in the words of the agent.

The child complains and the mom asks if re-scanning might be an option. The TSA agent replies, "no." The agent does try to calm the girl, telling her she has "pretty hair," and appears to conduct the pat-down in a gentle manner.

The incident occurred at Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans last week.

The family in the video is from Kentucky, and the mom, Selena Drexel, tells ABC's "Good Morning America" that they were returning from a vacation when their daughter, Anna, underwent the pat-down. Anna's father, Todd Drexel, says his daughter started to cry afterward.


Marjorie Esman, executive director of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) of Louisiana, questions why the child wasn't taken to a private area and whether the screening was even necessary.

"A 6-year-old child shouldn't be subjected to this kind of treatment in the first place if there's no reason to suspect her or her parents of being criminals," she tells CBS affiliate WWL New Orleans.

TSA spokesman Nicholas Kimball tells AOL Travel News the agency "has reviewed the incident and determined that this officer followed proper current screening procedures."

However, he notes the TSA is in the midst of planning changes in line with TSA Administrator John Pistole's call for risk-based security screening.

"As part of this effort TSA has been actively reviewing its screening policies and procedures to streamline and improve the screening experience for low-risk populations, such as younger passengers," the agency says in a statement.

But a congressman is questioning whether the incident seen in the video did in fact violate rules that call for a "modified" pat-down for children 12 and under.

"This conduct is in clear violation of TSA's explicit policy not to conduct thorough pat-downs on children under the age of 13," Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, says in a statement.

This is not the first time the TSA has been criticized for rigorously screening children at airports and even on trains.




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]]>airport screeningairport securitychildrennew orleanspat-downsix-year-oldtransportation security administrationtsaFran Golden2011-04-13T10:00:00+00:00American Airlines in Fight with Museum Over Fishhttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/12/american-airlines-in-fight-with-museum-over-fish/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/12/american-airlines-in-fight-with-museum-over-fish/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/12/american-airlines-in-fight-with-museum-over-fish/#commentsFiled under:

Michael Oh/Flickr

In a real-life fish tale a big airline is going head to head with a big museum. American Airlines this week filed court papers in an attempt to limit its liability after it was sued by the American Museum of Natural History in New York over the loss of dead fish.

At issue are two barrels of African fish, checked as luggage - not cargo -- by a researcher's wife, reports the New York Post.

The museum sued American Airlines last year in federal court, accusing the carrier of destroying the barrels, which museum officials said contained rare specimens collected by researchers from rivers in the Congo. The fish were headed to a museum laboratory.

On the way from Africa, the barrels apparently missed a connection in Brussels. American flew the fish on a later flight - as delayed luggage.

When they arrived in the U.S., the barrels were leaking and smelly and maggots were discovered, the airline says - the museum disputes this saying the fish were preserved in formaldehyde and sealed in two layers of plastic bags. In any event, the barrels were destroyed.

The museum is seeking $25,000 for the cost of collecting and transporting the fish. American says in its counter claim that since the barrels were checked as baggage it shouldn't have to pay more than $634.90 per barrel, or the same you'd get for a destroyed or lost suitcase of the same weight, the Post reports.

 

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]]>airlineamerica museum of natural historyamerican airlinesfishmuseumnew yorksuitFran Golden2011-04-12T12:30:00+00:00Planes Collide on JFK Airport Runwayhttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/12/planes-collide-on-jfk-airport-runway/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/12/planes-collide-on-jfk-airport-runway/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/12/planes-collide-on-jfk-airport-runway/#commentsFiled under:

air france comair jfk clipped

NBC New York 4

An Air France jumbo jet bound for Paris clipped the tail of a Delta Comair commuter plane while taxiing last night at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

There were no injuries, though passengers were startled, and the planes appeared to be damaged.

"It was pretty damned scary," Poppy Lawton, 29, of London, who was aboard the Delta flight, tells the New York Daily News. "You could hear things breaking, almost like glass breaking."

An Air France spokeswoman tells AOL Travel News the Airbus A380 with 495 passengers and 25 crew onboard "was taxiing and the other one (plane) was parking" when the incident occurred around 8:09 p.m.

She says the carrier is cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board in their investigation. "They are looking into the matter," the Air France spokeswoman says.

The A380 is the world's biggest commercial passenger plane.


Delta spokesman Anthony Black tells AOL Travel News Comair Flight 6293 had just arrived from Boston and was preparing to taxi to its gate at JFK, "when the wing tip of an Air France A380 aircraft contacted the tail of the CRJ 700."

He says there were 62 passengers and four crew aboard the Comair aircraft.

"The passengers were deplaned and were taken into the terminal area. No injuries are reported. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), NTSB and Port Authority are investigating this event, and we are cooperating in their investigation," Black adds.

Both aircraft were towed away for inspection. How much damage the two planes sustained remains unclear.

The NTSB says it hopes to have a preliminary report on the incident later today.

"We will be investigating once the damage assessment is completed this a.m. We may have more information later in the day," NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway tells AOL Travel News

JFK is one of the nation's busiest airports. Air France and Delta are partner SkyTeam airlines.

 

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]]>a380air franceAirbusA380airportcomairjfkjfk airportnew yorkplaneFran Golden2011-04-12T10:00:00+00:00Bunny Lady vs. the TSAhttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/11/bunny-lady-v-s-the-tsa/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/11/bunny-lady-v-s-the-tsa/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/11/bunny-lady-v-s-the-tsa/#commentsFiled under:

bunny lady tsa

Fox 4 Kansas City

Just in time for Easter comes the story of a Kansas clown who dresses up as a bunny and had a hassle with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) over a basket of colorful, confetti-filled eggs.

Valerie Baul, 35, of Roeland Park, Ks., is usually in the business of making people smile as the singing and juggling "Bunny Lady," a role for which she dons a fuzzy pink and green costume with ears.

But she wasn't singing after an encounter with a TSA agent at Philadelphia International Airport, reports Fox 4 Kansas City.

Baul faces charges of harassment after a TSA agent inquired about the basket of eggs, which Baul says had just passed through an airport security X-ray machine.

"She said, 'What are those?' And I said, 'Well, they're eggs filled with confetti. You want to see what's inside? Here you go, you win, let's find out together.' And I put it on her head. And I didn't think anything of it," Baul, who was wearing pink bunny ears at the time, tells the TV outlet.

The TSA agent was not amused to be showered with confetti. Airport police authorities were called and Baul, who is also a community radio DJ in Kansas, says she was handcuffed and ended up being incarcerated at the airport for three hours. The incident occurred Valentine's Day weekend.

The "Bunny Lady" is due in court in Philadelphia in September on a misdemeaner harassment charge.

A TSA spokesman tells AOL Travel News the agency is cooperating with local authorities in the case, but declined to comment further.

"

 

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]]>airport securitybunnyeasterkansas cityphiladelphiaphilaldephia international airporttransportations ecurity administrationtsaFran Golden2011-04-11T11:00:00+00:00Qantas Finds Politician's Lost Guitarhttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/08/airline-finds-politician-s-lost-guitar/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/08/airline-finds-politician-s-lost-guitar/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/08/airline-finds-politician-s-lost-guitar/#comments
guitar politician qantas

bombardier/flickr

Australian politician Tony Burke likes to play guitar. So when his musical instrument was lost in transit by Qantas Airways, he went beyond filling out lost luggage forms. He took to Twitter to try to quickly get his guitar back.

And he succeeded.

Burke, Australia's Federal Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, told Australian news outlets he wasn't looking to make his ordeal public. The Labor Party member said he just wanted his guitar back - the Cole Clark "Angel" guitar is made of sustainable wood, he noted.

So after the guitar didn't emerge at an airport luggage turnstile after a flight from Melbourne to Sydney, Australia, Burke tweeted, "Please QANTAS. Please find my guitar."

According to the news outlets, "the twitterverse swung into action." Someone created a hashtag and a full-scale effort at "#Findtonysguitar" got underway.

Qantas quickly located the missing instrument, tweeting "@Tony_Burke we've found your guitar and will get it to you asap. Rock on!"

"The angel is flying home," Burke told followers.

 

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]]>airlinesaustraliaguitarlost luggagemelbourneqantassydneyFran Golden2011-04-08T13:00:00+00:00Teen Charged With Sexually Assaulting Minor on Carnival Cruisehttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/08/teen-charged-with-sexually-assaulting-minor-on-carnival-cruise/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/08/teen-charged-with-sexually-assaulting-minor-on-carnival-cruise/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/08/teen-charged-with-sexually-assaulting-minor-on-carnival-cruise/#commentsFiled under:

gibmos/Flickr

A 19-year-old Mississippi man has been charged with sexually assaulting a minor on the 2,052-passenger Carnival Elation, during a four-night cruise to Mexico from Mobile, Alabama.

Dylan Cole Bloodsworth was arrested by the FBI without incident this week at his home in Gautier, Mississippi, reports the Mobile Press-Register.

Carnival Cruise Lines says in a statement the incident occurred on a sailing that embarked on March 3, and the cruise line reported the allegations to the FBI.

"Carnival's security personnel conducted an investigation onboard and turned over all evidence to the FBI when the vessel returned to Mobile on March 7," spokeswoman Ally Bello tells AOL Travel News. "Carnival fully cooperated with the FBI in its investigation."

The cruise line declined to give additional details.

According to the newspaper, Bloodsworth also faces charges in an unrelated case in Mississippi where he is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl he met on Facebook. He reportedly took the Carnival cruise after posting $20,000 bail, and even bragged about his vacation on Facebook.

The shipboard case will be heard in federal court, since the incident occurred in international waters.

The Elation is the only cruise ship homeported in Mobile, but Carnival announced last month it would be moving the ship to New Orleans in October.

 

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]]>alabamacarnival cruise linescruisemexicomobilesexual assaultFran Golden2011-04-08T11:05:00+00:00Disney to Cruise from New Yorkhttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/06/disney-to-cruise-from-new-york/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/06/disney-to-cruise-from-new-york/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/06/disney-to-cruise-from-new-york/#commentsFiled under:

disney new york cruise

Disney Cruise Line

Mickey Mouse will be spending the summer of 2012 in New York, as Disney Cruise Line launches cruises from the Big Apple. Disney will also be cruising from Galveston, Texas and Seattle for the first time next year.

The cruise line made the announcement in New York, officials saying the reason they are moving some of the Disney ships from their homeport of Port Canaveral, near Orlando, to other U.S. ports is to bring them closer to vacationers.

"In 2012, we're making it easier for families to enjoy a Disney Cruise Line vacation by offering cruises from a variety of regional homeports," said Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line. "Guests can now enjoy a magical, one-of-a-kind experience with the convenience of departures from their own backyard."

The cruise line has offered cruises in Europe including on the Disney Magic this summer and has the Disney Wonder based in Vancouver, Canada this year, cruising to Alaska for the first time.

The New York cruises kick off on May 25 of next year, with a total of 20 sailings on the 2,400-passenger Disney Magic. The schedule includes eight eight-night cruises to the Bahamas; nine five-night cruises up the New England Coast to Canada; and three two-night cruises to nowhere.

The Bahamas cruises will stop in Nassau, at Disney's private Bahamas island of Castaway Cay and Port Canaveral, Fla., the Disney ships' home port. Each cruise passenger on the cruise will receive a complimentary one-day Walt Disney World Park Hopper ticket and round-trip transportation to the Disney parks, less than an hour from the port.

The New England/Canada cruises will visit Halifax, Nova Scotia and Saint John, New Brunswick, both popular Canadian ports.

After New York, the Disney Magic heads to Galveston, to go head-to-head with Carnival Cruise Lines, which will have its new Carnival Magic based at the Texas port.

The Disney Magic will sail 12 week-long cruises to the Western Caribbean, with port calls in Grand Cayman, Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.

On the West Coast, the Disney Wonder returns to Alaska for the second time, with 14 week-long cruises from Seattle, beginning May 28. The cruises will visit Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, Alaska, as well as the Canadian port of Victoria.

The Wonder will also do four seven-night Pacific Coast cruises from Los Angeles in the fall of 2012, calling at San Francisco, San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico. Then the ship will spend the winter season sailing weeklong cruises to the Mexican Riviera from L.A.

The Disney Wonder will also, for the first time, visit Hawaii, on one 15-night sailing, embarking from L.A. on April 29, 2012.

While the Magic and Wonder travel, the 4,000-passenger Disney Dream and sister ship Disney Fantasy, which debuts next March, will cruise from Port Canaveral on three- , four- and seven-night itineraries to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

 

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]]>alaskacanadadisney cruise linehawaiilos angelesmexiconew englandnew yorkorlandoseattleFran Golden2011-04-06T13:00:00+00:00Honeymoon Couple Survives Six Natural Disastershttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/06/honeymoon-couple-survives-six-natural-disasters/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/06/honeymoon-couple-survives-six-natural-disasters/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/06/honeymoon-couple-survives-six-natural-disasters/#commentsFiled under:

honeymooners natural disasters

Svanstrom Family

Stefan and Erika Svanstrom of Stockholm, Sweden, managed to encounter six natural disasters on their recent four-month honeymoon - including flooding in Australia and the devastating 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

They didn't set out to do that, of course, Stefan, 38, tells AOL Travel News, but he and Erika, 32, did learn a life lesson: "Always expect the worst and hope for the best. And be prepared for anything!"

The couple, traveling since they met in 2007, has visited 16 countries including the U.S. For their honeymoon, they started planning in early November, leaving plenty of time to explore, Stefan says.

They got married Nov. 27, and headed off a week later, traveling with their infant daughter.

The trip of a lifetime was made possible because Stefan, an economist, had a nice severance package from a job he had left, and Erika, a foreign affairs policy advisor for the Swedish parliament, was on maternity leave - their daughter is now 10 months old.


Svanstrom Family

"We had only a ticket from Sweden via Munich to Singapore and the return from Melbourne via Beijing to Stockholm. The other flights were booked as we went along, mostly on low-cost airlines in Asia. We also booked most of the rental cars and accommodations along the way," Stefan says. Most of their stays were in hostels.

"Our plan was to get a lot of sun and beach-life early in the trip, and experience nature and culture later in the trip. Some of the destinations were chosen for the diving, as we are both keen to go scuba diving."


Svanstrom Family

The honeymooners encountered their first disaster right after they left Sweden, in Munich, where one of Europe's worst snowstorms delayed them for a day at the airport before they flew off to Singapore.

"After that we had a very nice month in Thailand, with no major disasters. In Bali, we were caught by the monsoon rains, which of course is a part of the season in January," Stefan says.

Off to Australia, in Perth the Svanstroms narrowly escaped bush fires.


Svanstrom Family

"In Cairns, however, we had our first major disaster experience, when category 5 Cyclone Yasi had us being evacuated from our hostel to a nearby shopping mall while waiting for the storm to pass," Stefan says. They ended up sleeping on a cement floor with other evacuees.

A few weeks later, the Svanstroms and their young daughter were visiting friends in Brisbane, "where the (massive) flooding had just passed leaving devastation on the river banks downtown."

They were at the airport waiting for a flight to Christchurch, New Zealand when they got a call from worried relatives advising them a 6.3 magnitude earthquake had struck the city.

"We ended up in Auckland, and drove down to Christchurch where we only were able to see the airport due to the devastation in the city center," Stefan says.



"Next stop was Japan, where we experienced the earthquake of 11 March while eating lunch in Asakusa in northern Tokyo. It was quite a shocking experience."

The Svanstroms had a nice and calm visit to China, before returning home late last month.

Throughout their disaster travels, the newlyweds learned to "stay calm and to stick together when bad things happen," Stefan says, important lessons in any marriage.

"I also think that every crisis that you survive makes you stronger, and the bond between us has grown with every challenge we've met," Stefan says.

The experience was also quite humbling, he adds.

"Although we've had some bad luck, we still have our lives. Our thoughts are with those who couldn't escape these disasters. In the end, we are very fortunate to be alive."

The Svanstroms do plan to continue their travels in the future, Stefan says.

 

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]]>australiabalihoneymoonjapanmunichnew zealandstockholmthailandFran Golden2011-04-06T11:00:00+00:00Fatter Passengers Mean Change in Boat Ruleshttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/05/fatter-passengers-mean-change-in-boat-rules/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/05/fatter-passengers-mean-change-in-boat-rules/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/05/fatter-passengers-mean-change-in-boat-rules/#commentsFiled under:

fatter passengers boat

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Fatter passengers are the cause of a rules change by the U.S. Coast Guard that will impact tour boats, ferries and water taxis.

The Coast Guard is adjusting occupancy regulations to reflect the fact Americans weigh more than they did in the in the 1960s, when earlier rules were set. The standard weight per passenger for American-flagged boats will be calculated at 185 pounds rather than 160 pounds, beginning Dec. 1.

"Over the decades people have gotten bigger and they weigh more according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), so the Coast Guard regulations were adjusted to reflect that," Coast Guard spokeswoman Lisa Novak tells AOL Travel News.

With passengers tipping the scale, the new rule will mean boats have to carry fewer people.

The concern is stability of a vessel, and what might happen if heavy passengers all moved to one side, a Coast Guard official tells the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

It was unclear whether in addition to smaller passenger boats the rules change also applies to Norwegian Cruise Line's American-flagged cruise ship Pride of America, which cruises in Hawaii - AOL has a request out to NCL for comment.

The rules change does not apply to recreational boaters. It also does not apply to cruise ship lifeboats, which are covered under a separate set of regulations, Novak says.

Tour boat operators say the change will impact business.

"If you're licensed for 400 people ... with the new rating you may only carry 370," Haley Sofge, a manager with Biscayne Lady Charters, which operates out of West Palm Beach and Miami, tells the Sun-Sentinel.

Another Florida tour boat owner says to make up for fewer passengers operators may have to charge guests more.

In calculating the new weight regulations the Coast Guard went with averages for men and women from the CDC's National Center of Health Statistics, Novak says.

According to the CDC, for people over age 20, the average weight for men is 194.7 pounds and for women 164.7 pounds.

Similar weight changes have been considered for city transit buses. In response to the increasing girth of Americans, the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) last month proposed raising the assumed average weight per bus passenger from 150 pounds to 175 pounds, a move that could mean fewer seats on buses across the country.

 

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]]>americansboatscruise shipsfatterferriesfloridarulestour boatsus coast guardwater taxisweightFran Golden2011-04-05T13:00:00+00:00British Plane Lands in Athens After Bomb Threathttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/04/british-plane-lands-in-athens-after-bomb-threat/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/04/british-plane-lands-in-athens-after-bomb-threat/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/04/british-plane-lands-in-athens-after-bomb-threat/#commentsFiled under:

athens bomb threat

AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris

A British tour company's flight from the UK to the Egyptian beach resort of Sharm el Sheikh made an emergency landing at the airport in Athens, Greece after the airplane received a bomb threat.

Officials from Greece's Air Force said two F-16 jets and a Super Puma helicopter were scrambled to escort the Thomson Airways flight, which had 213 passengers and crew onboard. The plane landed safely at Athens International Airport and no one was injured in the incident.

The Boeing plane was being checked for explosives, reports Reuters. The disembarked passengers were waiting in an airport terminal.

"Thomson Airways can confirm that a security alert was raised during one of its flights, TOM 226, today from Bristol to Sharm el Sheikh. As a precautionary measure and in the interests of customer safety, the pilot took the decision to divert the aircraft into Athens airport," the tour company said.

According to Greek state TV reports, the bomb threat was made in a telephone call to Thomson in the UK.

British authorities have also launched an investigation.

 

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]]>athensbomb threatgreecesharm el sheikhthompson airwaysFran Golden2011-04-04T12:00:00+00:00Man Killed After Falling Out of Tour Bus Bathroomhttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/04/man-killed-after-falling-out-of-tour-bus-bathroom/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/04/man-killed-after-falling-out-of-tour-bus-bathroom/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/04/man-killed-after-falling-out-of-tour-bus-bathroom/#commentsFiled under:

bus bathroom massachusetts

Gerard Donnelly/flickr

In a bizarre incident, one man was killed and another critically injured when they fell out of the bathroom window of a tour bus in central Massachusetts.

The men were reportedly tussling at the time of the Saturday night incident, but the horse-play appeared friendly.

The bus, operated by Colonial Tours of Boston, was heading back to Gardner, Mass. after a visit to four breweries when the men fell out the window onto Route 2. The bus was going about 60 mph at the time.

A witness tells Boston's Fox 25 she went to alert the driver but the bus continued about five miles before pulling over.

A state police trooper discovered the victims in the breakdown lane on the highway in Shirley, Mass.

Thomas Johnson of Gardner, 31, was killed and Seth Davis, 34, of Winchendon, Mass., was taken to the hospital with critical injuries.

Alcohol was believed to be involved in the incident. No charges were filed. Massachusetts state police continue to investigate.

Man killed, another injured after fall from tour bus: MyFoxBOSTON.com



 

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]]>bathroombrewerybus tourtour bustouristFran Golden2011-04-04T10:00:00+00:00Meet Amtrak's Singing Café Car Guyhttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/01/meet-amtraks-singing-cafe-car-guy/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/01/meet-amtraks-singing-cafe-car-guy/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/01/meet-amtraks-singing-cafe-car-guy/#commentsFiled under:

amtrak cafe singer

Florian/flickr

If you take a ride on on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner when Anthony Bryant is onboard, you'll hear him sing. This railroad café car worker is not a trained singer, he tells AOL Travel News, but he is a train singer. We couldn't resist.

Bryant, 52, has been working for Amtrak for 18 years. But it's only in the past few years, on the scenic Southern California coastal route, that he's felt the urge to break into song.

He comes on the PA system as the train pulls away from the station - the Pacific Surfliner serves the coast from San Diego to Los Angeles up to San Luis Obispo - and sings to passengers both a greeting and the café car menu.

"The reason I started to sing is primarily when it's not too busy in the café car, and people are sitting up and enjoying the fine scenery of the ocean, they need a little push to come downstairs and purchase something," Bryant says.

But he says he also sings to make people happy.


Amtrak

"I have a passion about this job and seeing people enjoy themselves," he says. "And people have problems, so anything you can do to enhance a person's experience, and bring an interchange between people, I think is good."

Bryant starts every trip off with his own little ditty that includes the line, "Every day's a beautiful day for a train ride."

He then sings favorites on the café car menu - among the items are sandwiches, snacks and beverages.



In a phone interview, Bryant describes a typical day, "I say, 'Good morning, welcome aboard, this is your café attendant Anthony,'" and then he bursts into song on the phone: "We're featuring coffee, tea, herbal tea, Sara Lee muffins, 'because nobody doesn't like Sara Lee...'"

Bryant's repertoire also includes "I Love You California," the official state song. A Philadelphia native, now living in San Diego, Bryant sings with enthusiasm, "I love you, California, you're the greatest state of all I love you in the winter, summer, spring, and in the fall."

He says people often comment on the song, "because we have a lot of people in California who have never heard the state song."

Bryant does not sing the folk song "I've Been Working on the Railroad." But he has been known to sing "Happy Birthday," on request.

All in a Day's Work

The café car employee does a rotating work cycle on the train, which has him doing some 15-hour days followed by days off.

Bryant starts his day typically around 4:15 a.m., heading straight to the commissary, about two miles from the station in L.A., to stock up.

Riders are most likely to see him on the route between Los Angeles and San Diego, which takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes, with 12 daily round-trips. But Bryant also sometimes works the train farther north up to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.

The bi-level Pacific Surfliner has panoramic windows to view ocean stretches including around San Juan Capistrano - Bryant's favorite. Because this is California - there are also racks on the train for both bikes and surfboards.

Bryant says he used to play jazz on a CD player in the café, but ran into bureaucratic issues with that. "So I spread to singing a little bit," he says.

He also tries to attract customers to the café car with other little gimmicks.

"I have a rotating fish tank going and a 'sharks' sign on the wall. A lot of gimmies going on here," he says.

The café car sells "adult (alcoholic) beverages," Bryant says in a hushed voice. But his personal favorite is the jalapeno cheeseburgers, pre-packaged and, he notes, "not the same as what you'd find at Costco."

Why Trains Rock

Bryant, who has also worked in food service at restaurants and hospitals, says he's always been a fan of train travel and doesn't drive.

"For me trains are just a beautiful way of traveling," he says. "When I was a kid I went from Philly down to Baltimore and up to New York by train. And you could met a lot of different people n the train and in the café car."

Bryant first started with Amtrak on the cross-country route from Los Angeles to Sanford, Florida.

"There were 15 to 20 stops along the way and loyal travelers. Say, in Alpine, Texas, a couple of ladies took the train from Alpine to New Orleans. It was so gratifying to see them every time they came through."

These days, Bryant's PA system performances have been known to earn him an ovation, though he gets suddenly shy when asked how people respond to his singing.

"Most people like me, I guess. The conductors seem to like my singing. Some people tell me they really enjoyed it."

 

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]]>amtrakcafecalifornialos angelessan diegosanta barbaratrain traveltrainsFran Golden2011-04-01T13:00:00+00:00Leaping Stingray Swoops On Two Chicks Boat In Floridahttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/31/stingray-tries-to-hitch-ride-on-boat-in-florida/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/31/stingray-tries-to-hitch-ride-on-boat-in-florida/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/31/stingray-tries-to-hitch-ride-on-boat-in-florida/#commentsFiled under:

stingray florida keys

AP

An Illinois family vacationing in the Florida Keys got a big surprise when a stingray jumped onto their chartered pontoon boat.

The spotted eagle ray leaped onto the 26-foot boat in a channel in Islamorada and struck Jenny Hausch, 39, in the chest, reports the Miami Herald.

The collision with the five-foot, 200-pound creature knocked Hausch to the deck, but the stingray was apparently equally stunned.

The boat's captain shouted for help and a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) patrol boat happened to be nearby.

Hausch managed to crawl out from under the ray and was not injured, which officer Aja Vickers of the FWC tells the Herald, is "shocking" given the size of the ray.

Bobby Dude, a spokesman for the FWC, says a similar leaping stingray collision in 2008 resulted in the death of a 55-year-old tourist from Michigan. He adds the two cases are the only ones he's heard about in 22 years.

Hausch was on the boat, operated by Two Chicks Charter, with her husband, David, and three young children. They were finishing an excursion of snorkeling and shell collecting when they spotted 15 to 20 leaping eagle rays in the channel - which is not unusual, especially during mating season.

The officers used a rope to drag the unexpected passenger back in the water and the ray swam away. But the Hausch family retained one of the creature's venomous barbs as a souvenir, the newspaper reports.



 

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]]>boatfloridaflorida keyssnorkelingstingrayFran Golden2011-03-31T12:00:00+00:00Wind Pulls Carnival Cruise Ship from Dockhttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/31/wind-pulls-carnival-cruise-ship-from-dock/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/31/wind-pulls-carnival-cruise-ship-from-dock/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/31/wind-pulls-carnival-cruise-ship-from-dock/#commentsFiled under:

carnival cruise wind

rockinfree/flickr

The Carnival Pride was blowing in the wind yesterday at Port Canaveral, near Orlando, so intensely the ship was actually pulled from the dock. And then the vessel was left temporarily stranded at the port.

The 2,860-passenger Pride was on a daylong call at Port Canaveral, as part of a weeklong Bahamas cruise from Balitmore, when it was pulled from its moorings by a strong gust of wind around 5:45 p.m. yesterday evening, Carnival Cruise Lines spokesman Vance Gulliksen tells AOL Travel News.

Officials estimate the wind gust at 85 knots.

No one was injured in the incident and the ship was not damaged. But rather than departing last night the ship remained at the port until early this morning, Gulliksen says.

Central Florida has been pounded by powerful storms for two days - today there's a severe weather warning for much of the area.

Crew and some guests were onboard when the wind pulled the ship from the dock, with others still on excursions to Orlando.

"The ship returned to its dock and guests began to return back to the vessel. There were no injuries to guests or crew. All appropriate authorities were notified," Carnival says in a statement.

The Carnival Pride had been scheduled to spend today in Nassau, Bahamas. Instead, the ship is heading to Freeport, Bahamas, where it was originally supposed to spend a day, but will now do an overnight. The ship is due back in Baltimore on Sunday.

Guests have not been offered any compensation.

"Carnival sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience this incident may have caused its guests," the cruise line says.

 

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]]>bahamascarnival cruise linescruiseorlandoport canaveralFran Golden2011-03-31T10:30:00+00:00New Thrills and Chills on Amusement Park Rideshttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/30/new-thrills-and-chills-on-amusement-park-rides/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/30/new-thrills-and-chills-on-amusement-park-rides/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/30/new-thrills-and-chills-on-amusement-park-rides/#commentsFiled under:

amusement parks rides

Dollywood

As fans know, springtime means a chance to be the first to check out new attractions at amusement parks around the country as they open their doors and show off new features for the season. This year brings plenty for those seeking a wild ride.

With the help International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), AOL Travel News has targeted 10 must-do rides guaranteed to thrill, and in some cases, chill.

Check out these new rides debuting in 2011:

Ride fans are in for a swinging time at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Opened last weekend, "Barnstormer" is a swing ride with two pendulum arms that seat 16 passengers each. Riders are progressively taken higher as the swing gets going, reaching a peak of 81 feet in the air. The 60-second ride travels 45 miles per hour, and has a 230-degree rotation. Surrounding the ride is a tamer barnyard-themed play area and pig pen water play area.


Six Flags Magic Mountain

Also opened this month, "Superman: Escape from Krypton" at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif. is sending riders backwards up a 41-story tower which includes seven seconds where riders are blasted at 100 mph. It's a redo of an old ride and billed as a totally new experience. And on May 28, Memorial Day weekend, the park is opening the highly anticipated and brand new "Green Lantern" the first vertical spinning coaster in the U.S. The ride features an 825-foot twisted vertical track with three 360-degree head-over-heel spins.


Six Flags Over Texas

On April 22, Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas marks its 50th anniversary by bringing back a faster and steeper "Texas Giant." The classic wooden coaster has undergone a $10 million makeover, and officials say it will feel like a whole new ride. There's a new track that allows for a steeper first drop, more severely banked turns and faster speeds, and the ride has also been enhanced with three new tunnels and three new "Giant" trains.

Snow may still be on the ground in Wisconsin, but come May 7, Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay will open its new 2,500-foot-long roller coaster "Zippin Pippin." The 90-second ride takes guests over several hills with drops as high as 70 feet at speeds up to 40 miles per hour.


Cedar Point

May 14 is the expected opening day for the towering "WindSeeker" swing at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Riders will spin nearly 30 stories above the Lake Erie shoreline in two-person swings, while their feet dangle. Adding to the excitement, the swings rotate passengers slowly as they ascend the tower, spinning at speeds between 25-30 mph, flaring out almost 45 degrees from the tower.

Similar "Windseeker" swing attractions are also scheduled to open at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, April 30; and Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif. in mid-June.


Busch Gardens

Beginning on May 27, in time for the Memorial Day weekend, "Cheetah Hunt" at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fla. is a launch-style roller coaster that will propel riders three times from 0 to 60 mph in a matter of seconds. Riders dive 130 feet into a subterranean trench, fly above a simulated Serengeti plain and speed through an artificial canyon. The more sedate "Cheetah Run" observation area shows off the park's real-life cheetahs with interactive touchscreens providing information about the animals.

Thrill seekers in Georgia will find a new and intense temptation come Memorial Day. Opening May 28, "Dare Devil Dive" at Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell, Georgia is a roller coaster with a vertical chain lift that pulls riders up 10 stories. From there there's a drop where the coaster angles inward as it comes down at 52 mph. Riders "careen through a combination of diving loops while executing three inversions before catching air on a zero-gravity hill, and swooping across a vertical U-turn stretched high above the ground," according to the park.

 

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]]>amusement parksnew ridesridesroller coastertheme parksFran Golden2011-03-30T14:00:00+00:00Possible Bullet Hole Found in US Airways Planehttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/30/possible-bullet-hole-found-in-us-airways-plane/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/30/possible-bullet-hole-found-in-us-airways-plane/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/30/possible-bullet-hole-found-in-us-airways-plane/#commentsFiled under:

us airways bullet hole charlotte

regcir, flickr

A small hole found in a US Airways airplane at the airport in Charlotte, N.C. is being examined by FBI investigators, trying to determine if it was caused by a bullet.

The hole was discovered on the plane at Charlotte Douglas International Airport after the 84 passengers disembarked a flight from Philadelphia earlier this week.

The pilot for the next flight was doing his pre-flight inspection when he spotted the hole.

CNN is reporting government sources as saying a bullet pierced the Boeing 737-400 fuselage just above a passenger window and that a bullet had been recovered.

Several news sources are also reporting the plane was hit by a bullet as it landed at the Charlotte airport. But the FBI is not yet confirming this.

"There is a hole in the plane and we are doing everything we can to figure out how it got there, and that may take a little while," spokeswoman Amy Thoreson of the Charlotte FBI office tells AOL Travel News.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is cooperating in the investigation, a spokesman tells AOL Travel News.

Other possible causes for holes to occur in planes include metal fatigue and lightning.

Michelle Mohr, a spokeswoman for US Airways Group Inc., tells the Associated Press the airline called the FBI about the hole because "it looked like it could have been" a bullet hole.

"It's very small," she said. "This pilot has a heck of an eye."

Meanwhile, even before this incident, the Charlotte airport had raised a red flag for U.S. Representative William Keating (D-Mass.), who has expressed concerns about perimeter security at the nation's airports.

Keating, a member of the Homeland Security Oversight Subcommittee, says he will be holding a hearing tomorrow that will address what he calls an "alarming" number of incidents where security has been lax in and around airport runways.

The freshman congressman has been speaking out on perimeter security since December when a 16-year-old is believed to have sneaked past security at the Charlotte airport and stuffed himself into a left wheel of a 737. His badly-mangled body landed on a street in a Boston suburb on the flight path to Logan Airport.

There was also a security breach at the Charlotte airport last month, after an airline worker who had forgotten his security badge scaled a fence to get onto the tarmac.

"I can't get into details, but what's happening at the airports when it comes to perimeter security should make us nervous. There have been a series of incidents that I am very concerned about," Keating tells AOL Travel News.

Keating has also expressed his concerns with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. "I am hoping for a greater sense of urgency," he says.

(Michele McPhee contributed to this report.)

 

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]]>airportbulletcharlottenorth carolinasecurityFran Golden2011-03-30T10:30:00+00:00IHG Hotels Re-Launching Priority Club With Flash Saleshttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/29/ihg-hotels-re-launching-priority-club-with-flash-sales/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/29/ihg-hotels-re-launching-priority-club-with-flash-sales/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/29/ihg-hotels-re-launching-priority-club-with-flash-sales/#commentsFiled under:

ihg priority club hotels

Holiday Inn Charlotte

IHG, the 4,400-property hotel company that includes Holiday Inn brands, is re-launching its 28-year-old Priority Club loyalty program with flash sales and the option of downloading music and games using points.

Beginning in May, members will receive a weekly newsletter on Monday or Tuesday listing "Last Minute Reward Nights" for the following weekend at a 50% discount - guests can use half the points for a free night than they regularly would.

The deal applies to Friday, Saturday and Sunday night stays.

The program is similar to the e-blasts airlines send to members of their frequent flier programs but has not been seen before in the hotel industry, Don Berg, IHG's vice president, Loyalty Programs and Partnerships tells AOL Travel News.

"This is the first time someone is actually going to feature loyalty program redemption points for the following weekend, or so-called distressed merchandise," Berg says. "So, for instance, 25,000 points at the Crowne Plaza Manhattan would be on sale that weekend for 12,500. It's like what the airlines do."

The hotel company, which also includes InterContinental Hotels and Resorts among its seven brands, has 56 million Priority Club members, making it the hotel industry's largest. The loyalty club re-launch follows a nearly three-year process that included surveys of 10,000 travelers around the world, Berg says.

Among other changes, the new program will allow members to redeem a combination of Priority Club points and cash for brand name merchandise and services in addition to reward nights.

Uniquely, members will also have a chance to use points to enter a "Lucky Points" sweepstakes with prizes ranging from hotel packages to merchandise such as iPads.

"I'm not using the word 'lottery," because it's a legal thing, but we'll call it a sweepstakes," Berg says. "It's the first of its kind in the hotel loyalty landscape."

Beginning this summer, Priority Club members will also be able to redeem points directly for downloadable music, eBooks, mobile games and applications and computer software, another industry first, according to Berg.

"Today you can't redeem points for that in anybody's loyalty program that I'm aware of," Berg says.

He says the Priority Club program is a high priority for the hotel company, with members accounting for 44% of the total room revenue. The re-launch also includes a website redo.

Berg says the research showed loyalty program membership is a stronger predictor of hotel selection than price or location for frequent travelers.

But the biggest surprise in doing the research for the re-launch was how members think of their points.

"There's an emotional connection with points that goes very, very deep. We actually had some guys in focus groups tear up when talking about using the points for family outings," Berg says. "Also, it's guilt-free currency. They treat points like cash. The currency is the story here."

 

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]]>holiday innhotelsintercontinental hotelsloyalty programpriority clubFran Golden2011-03-29T11:30:00+00:00