Major Ship Cruises Not For your needs? New Cruise Line Has You Planned.

In the gala event at this Beverly Hilton Hotel, Viking River Cruises properly became Viking Cruises and split off towards a company with two defined focuses. Viking Rivers will pursue to sail their popular longships with a rapidly expanding fleet. Viking Oceans will generate a fleet of ocean-going ships that will begin with a innovative 928-passenger ocean liner, Viking Legend. The new ship might set sail in 2015 viewing ports of call in the perimeter of Europe that river cruise liners can't get to.

"There is a hole already in the market somebody should fill, " said Viking chairman Torstein Hagen in the same Beverly Hills venue raised for the Golden Globe awards. "I feel we devised modern river cruising. Now I really hope we can revive the destination section of ocean cruising. " Viking OceansTo make it happen, Viking Star will begin with a choice of three summer European itineraries. All sailings begins and end with overnights inside first and last ports over the itinerary. That's a significant difference to the majority other lines that board passengers within the first port then sail away some hours later. On the bottom, the last port on other cruise lines is most often hardly ever seen by passengers except en route to the airport. Viking Star will sail on the last port, stay overnight then disembark passengers the next time. Ports between the beginning and end should have more flexibility too as Viking Star will always be there longer, often allowing passengers to learn nightlife, something other lines never allow to happen.

Still, the elements within the Viking Oceans experience takes what Viking does on rivers, applies it for the ocean then promises to set a new standard for ocean cruising that is definitely new, fresh and noticeably different. Viking Oceans Considering only the all-balcony stateroom characteristic of new Viking Star (starting for a generous 270 square feet) additional ocean-going ships of similar size is going to be put on notice: A Vikings are coming.

But roomy places to sleep are just one feature of Viking Movie star, the first of a pair of ships on order by having a third possible. Viking Oceans will acquire the lessons learned on their popular river cruise "longships" and apply that same school of thought to ocean cruising, something they've already little history with, creating a completely different and unique selection for cruise travelers.

Unique to Viking's river cruise experience are several included features that regularly cost Viking Oceans additional on other cruise lines-

But take the '55+' from that equation and a Viking Oceans experience could indeed be a good fit for a great many more travelers. What they do may well be a totally viable option for travelers that definitely have never cruised, turned off by the idea of a big ship, hanging hotel travel experience. Viking Star can have no children's programming, no cabins which will hold more than a couple guests, no amusement park-like rides, no casino, no giant fitness center and no bar on every street corner.

What Viking Oceans comes with is a continuation from Hagen's philosophy that what other lines do as a good "drinking man's cruise", Viking does as a "thinking man's cruise", now on not just rivers, but the oceans of the world too.

New Girl in the Air - Travel Tweeters and Why You Should Follow Them

Follow Friday (#ff) is a good concept: share the names on Twitter who you enjoy following, and maybe your recommendations will help someone else find a new person to connect with.  Over time, Follow Friday has turned into a list of names with no explanations or descriptions, possibly because there are a lot of great people to follow and only 140 characters to recommend them in!  However, I thought I'd take a few more characters to provide my recommendations and instead share them in this post.

I started following airlines because they are a great source for travel notifications, such as when you can get a waiver on your change fee due to weather disruptions.  That is still the primary reason I follow them, but I also like following them for giveaways, contests, trivia, and more.  Additionally, they can be incredible customer service agents, with the ability to help you with just about anything a phone agent could do for you (with the exception of booking award tickets)…and no hold times.    I know similarly some hotel chains are known for their Twitter service (@hyattconcierge comes to mind) but frankly I've never had a need to contact a hotel.  Tweeting a company for customer service needs isn't limited to the travel industry and is a good option if you need a fast answer, though remember not all companies' social media accounts are created equal.

I have a list of bloggers that I read without fail on a daily basis, but to be perfectly honest I don't have the time to read 100+ miles and points bloggers every day and yet another 1000+ more broadly travel-focused blogs.  However, I know that some really awesome posts can come from other sources outside of my daily list and I don't want to miss a gem.  I love to follow other bloggers on Twitter so that I see their posts pop up on my feed and can click through whenever it catches my eye.  It's a great way to scroll through headlines when you don't want 400 subscriptions in your email or RSS reader.  Plus, now that I've met many of them (and it feels like I've met even more once you consider the online interaction), I'm not afraid to ask them for tips or suggestions for my next trip!  There are way too many people to name, but I'm sure your favorite tweeter is @newgirlintheair?

I love a good deal, even if I only act on 1% of the ones I see.  My favorites are @Theflightdeal for super-low prices on airfare, @airfarewatchdog for deals that spring out of non-focus cities, and @bestrateguarantee for savings on hotel rooms.  I know there a ton of other deal tweeters out there, but I've found these ones to be most relevant to my needs.

Although I scrimp on airfare and hotels, I'll splurge on meals and activities.  To me, those experiences is what travel is all about, but it can take a definite hit on my wallet.  There are some great bargains if you know to look for local deals, but who has time to check a dozen daily deal websites for every destination you're headed to?  Add the local versions of Groupon (i.e. @GrouponDenver), Living Social, etc. to your Twitter list and you'll see the best deals roll through.  When something lines up with your travel plans, instant savings!  While you're at it, tourism offices for the city/state/country can also be a great resource.

There are a handful of Tweeters who round-up the latest and greatest about Twitter.  Some of my favorites are @Gadling, @HuffPostTravel, @Jaunted, @Vagabondish, and @MatadorNetwork.  Sure, they all have their own slant of things and you'll have to experiment a little to find what you enjoy, but they each cover a wide range of topics that round out my day.

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Official To Chinese Tourists: 'Be Silent, Don't Spit'.

Mr. Yang is backing up his warning. He made the comments in the meeting where the Communist Get together passed a law that will allow travel companies to cancel their contracts with tourists who "violate cultural ethics. " While this wording is vague, this basically means tour agencies can send embarrassing guests home.

Needless to declare, this bit of current information is causing much snickering in the Western press, but personally I haven't realized that Chinese tourists are any ruder than any other kind of tourist. Having lived in tourism epicenters including Madrid and Oxford, I've seen a good amount of Chinese tour groups rather than witnessed any spitting. The only real bit of obnoxiousness I saw was a bunch walking through Oxford using a tour leader giving her spiel using a megaphone. Yeah, passing with the dreaming towers of academe using a bloody megaphone. The Oxford police must have put a stop to it because I never saw it again.

Considering the Chinese come with a culture where international tourism is mostly a very recent phenomenon, I think on the entire they behave quite properly. As China reaches out within the world, however, the government has become increasingly image conscious, doing such PR blitzes as putting on grandiose Chinese New Year's shows in places for example the Estonian capital Tallinn, a city with only a tiny Chinese population.

So congratulations to Mr. Yang internet marketing overly cautious. If only David Cameron might tell the English not to be on drunken stag trips. Only when Barack Obama would tell Americans not to ever be so damn excessive and arrogant. Yes, these stereotypes only cover a small minority, but it's those obnoxious few that we tend to remember.

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The Late Night, Free Cultural Event Extravaganza: European Night Of Museums 2013

The idea is simple: open up museums way past their general closing hours, cut the entrance fee and make museum going a little more like nightlife instead of a rainy Sunday afternoon activity.

Coinciding with International Museum Day, European Night of Museums is organized by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, and this year almost 3,000 museums around Europe are participating not just by opening their doors for the late-night crowd, but hosting special events and beyond. Track them down here.

In Paris for example you have access to 150 museums and cultural centers - most of them for free - and while the waived entrance fee might attract a larger crowd to some of the more well known spots, it also means the chance to explore a few new places that you might have been meaning to check off the list.

In the U.K., you'll also find Museums at Night, tied in with the European Night of Museums campaign, but open for a couple of extra days, this year held May 16-18, 2013.

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Delta Points - SWAG Saturday! ALL SORTS OF THINGS is BIGGER in Colorado right?

They say Texas offers the BEST BBQ on the earth (we will just will need to see about that). I am anxious about lunch with some fellow Delta Points & Will Run for Distance readers on Tuesday sign in forums check the post to where efficient going HERE.

I will naturally come to be paying with my Chase Freedom card being the 5x points they are paying being a bonus now is much better than the standard 2x items my Chase Sapphire business card I normally use from restaurants is. For many "chain" restaurants I am able to still use my PRINTER BOLD and INK PLUS to visit the gift card section and find 5x points that approach also!

But on so that you can today's SWAG. As at all times, the rules are THESE. Since everything "IS" large in Texas, this week's prize is required to be really really big correct. So, as you see within the photo above, in addition for a shot at Silver Medallion grand prize in July, this week you can receive a set of iGo noise canceling headphones and then a Marriott passport cover along with tag, a Delta licence plate, a Delta Points indicate, a GoGo SCREAMING monkey in addition to a one day GoGo in-flight distribute. Fun!

To enter, all you must do is comment on in the event you agree that Texas has the best BBQ or another sort of state is better. Or, even, if you think state the lobster in Maine is better than Texas BBQ anyway! So if you in some way talk about food – you met the criteria! – René

Is Farm-To-Hotel The Latest Lodging Trend?

Hotel restaurants aren't normally at the top of the list of a traveler's places to eat, but sometimes time and efficiency leave you eating at the dining room on the first floor of wherever you're staying, especially if you're a business traveler. Wouldn't it be nice to know that the food you're getting comes from close by?

At a visit last winter to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, Canada, Ms. Driscoll said she was happy to discover a French fries dish called poutine, made with Alberta beef, that was served in the hotel's lounge. "It gave me a unique feeling of a sense of place," she said. "Local foods give you a great feeling of culture in a very short period of time, especially when you're traveling on business."

But it's not just specialty and boutique hotels that are taking on the trend. Hyatt Hotels Corporation started a food initiative last May that requires that its chefs at about 120 hotels in the US, Canada and Caribbean incorporate at least five local ingredients in their menus; "local" being defined as within 50 miles of the hotel location.

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Rough outdoors About Travel - “ Official”: -- FAA – Spirit is worst airline.

Not too long ago in my controversial publish on my ten worst type of airlines, I nominated Spirit for the third worst airline on the earth (and worst in your USA). Now a satirical post highlights how bad they're just!

In an Onion statement, the FAA is estimated as saying that guests should boycott the carrier: "Nobody with any shred from dignity should ever take off Spirit Airlines, the state states"

The article while intended to be humorous has major aspects truth: The airline touts its low fares, but it costs $45 to be sure your bag at that airport, and if you don't check the bag after you get your ticket, it costs a mandatory $100 with the gate.

Link: St. Regis New York: Luxury Hotel in Midtown Manhattan

Canadian Km's - Award Update: ANA 787 Provision.

Managed to get an award alert not long ago which showed that ANA provides finally loaded award house on it's NRT-SEA and NRT-SJC routes which can be starting September 1/2. ANA flies other 787 routes as well.

These routes are very good options to be able to fly the 787 as United and LOT for the reason that other *A 787 operator are generally pretty stingy with prize space.

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