This week's travel news

By Bruce Parkinson, Takeoffeh.com - Monday, July 12, 2010 at 9:57 AM - 0 Comments

There’s Gold In Them Islands: Caribbean Tourism Worth $12 Billion
There are few places that equal the Caribbean when it comes to sun, sand and sea pleasures. There’s no place that equals the region for dependence on tourism. A recent impact study found that the Caribbean travel and tourism industry will earn $12 billion this year and account for 1.9 million direct and indirect jobs – or one in every nine jobs in the region. Tourism’s contribution to regional GDP is over 4% directly, but tops 12% on a broader impact measure. For some destinations, the impact is even more profound: tourism is responsible for one in four jobs on the island of Jamaica and 27.7% of the island’s GDP. In a statement delivering the study results, UK-based Oxford Economics said “Our research indicates that travel and tourism play a proportionately stronger role in both GDP and employment creation [in the Caribbean] than in any other comparable region,” As history has shown, such a disproportionately high dependence on tourism can be as precarious as it is profitable, as natural disasters and civil unrest can quickly slow the flow of visitors.

Hotel Industry Recovery: As Rooms Fill, Rates Will Rise
Industry analysts and hoteliers agree that 2009 was the worst year in the history of the hotel business. Not surprisingly, they’re only admitting that now as fortunes appear to be on the rise again — it doesn’t do to preach doom when you’re still trying to sell franchises or attract investors. What that means for travellers is that rate increases are just around the corner. As Business Travel News reported this week, a recent investment conference in New York gave lodging leaders a forum to express their recession experiences. “What happened last year was really the perfect storm,” said Best Western CEO David Kong. “Demand went down substantially, almost 6 percent, and at the same time supply grew by 3.2 percent.” “Corporate business just fell off a cliff,” said Monty Bennett, CEO of upscale hotel owner Ashford Hospitality. “When all these companies cut back all corporate travel, they made their profits by cutting expenses. Now that they’re looking to grow profits, they can’t cut expenses anymore.” The turnaround is underway, with hotels reporting higher occupancy through the first few months of 2010. Rates, which plummeted to very consumer-friendly levels during the recession, have yet to bounce back, but hoteliers believe that’s just a matter of time.

Cruising Canucks: Sea-Based Vacations Are Fastest-Growing Segment
More Canadians are walking the gangplank – and paying for the privilege. A new study reveals that cruises make up the fastest growing segment of Canada’s travel market. Industry researcher PhoCusWright Inc. says cruises fit well with the Canadian appetite for all-inclusive package vacations – even though most cruises don’t include things like alcohol in the price. Over the past couple of years cruises have certainly appealed to Canadians’ appetite for bargains. When many Americans stayed home during the worst of the recession, prices plummeted and less-impacted Canadians happily took their place – Canadian cruisers grew by 5% in 2008 and “a stunning 9% in 2009″ during the recession. Another interesting result from the study: 27% of Canadian travellers surveyed said they usually book through traditional travel agencies, compared to just 13%of American travellers. Meanwhile, the cruise industry continues to generate reams of press with product enhancements. Norwegian Cruise Line, which has struggled in recent years, is back in the spotlight with the launch of its largest ship ever, the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Epic. Taking the ‘floating resort’ concept to new levels, the ship puts the focus on onboard activities rather than port calls, with a dazzling entertainment line-up and an array of dining opportunities. With behemoths like Epic and Royal Caribbean’s 5,600-passenger Oasis of the Seas, it’s easy to forget you’re on a ship. But that seems to be what a sizable segment of cruisers want. Rather than an opportunity to explore new destinations, many cruisers appear more interested in eating, drinking, tanning by the pool and checking out high-profile entertainment at night. And when it comes to port calls, some of the most popular are the private islands owned by Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Lines, Holland America and NCL. These small Caribbean islands are uninhabited until a few thousands cruisers arrive, unmolested by the hawkers and vendors typical of cruise ports. The cruise lines continue to add private island amenities, from private cabanas to water play areas, exhilarating rides to expanded beaches.

Up In The Air: Flying Is Back
After years of almost nothing but bad news coming from the international aviation industry, there’s finally something upbeat to report. In the month of May, both international passenger and freight traffic moved ahead of pre-recession levels. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported an 11.7% increase in passenger traffic and a 34.3% jump in freight demand compared to May 2009.

With airlines closely watching capacity growth, they are filling close to 80% of available seats, a near record level. Now if they could only get corporations to once again start paying 10 times the price of an economy seat for the big seats up front, everything would

By: Bruce Parkinson
Bruce Parkinson is a travel industry journalist and regular contributor to Takeoffeh.com as well as sister company, OpenJaw.com

Photo Credits: bestwestern.com, visitjamaica.com, disneycruise.com, Sieto

This Week's Travel News

By Bruce Parkinson, Takeoffeh.com - Monday, June 28, 2010 at 2:53 PM - 0 Comments

Stop The Presses: There’s Good News For Canada’s Airlines
In an industry where the sky always seems to be falling, Canada’s airline sector is enjoying a period relatively free of turbulence.
As Reuters reported this week, shares in Air Canada and WestJet are both up by more than 20 per cent and analysts see more big gains on the horizon. It’s an impressive turnaround from last spring when Air Canada was on the brink of a second trip into bankruptcy and perennially-profitable WestJet was showing double-digit earnings declines. “Things are a lot better than a year ago. Demand has come back quite a bit in Canada and globally,” said Canaccord Genuity analyst David Tyerman. Even the highly lucrative first-and business-class travel is slowly making a comeback, which is critical for Air Canada, which makes most of its money from passengers in the front of the plane. At the same time, many consumers are still spending cautiously, which is good news for WestJet and its low-cost model. When analyst predictions are averaged, the expectation is that AC stock will reach $3.96 in the next 12 months, more than double the $1.92 its B shares closed at last week. The market expectations for WestJet are not as dramatic, largely because its stock was less battered during the recession as it was one of the few North American airlines to stay profitable throughout. On average, analysts expect WestJet’s stock to reach $16.59 in a year’s time, 29 per cent above its $12.85 close at the end of last week.

Full Steam Ahead Or Cruising For A Bruising?
The cruise industry is placing a very big bet that the global economy will recover. How big? Think billions, lots of billions. The shiny new Norwegian Epic is readying for its inaugural sailing this week. At a cost of $1.2-billion and a passenger capacity of 4,200, Epic is the most eagerly anticipated ship launch of the year, but certainly not the only one. In fact, more than a dozen large cruise ships will take to the water this year, after a similar number in 2009. Besides Epic, major launches this year include P&O’s Azura, Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth, Celebrity’s Eclipse and Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas. In total, this year’s new ships will carry well over 25,000 passengers, who have to be replaced about once a week on average. Will the industry fill all these new berths? The cruise industry’s growth has been phenomenal over the past 20 years, average 7.4% growth each year. And as the market has matured in North America, cruise lines have been aggressive in seeking new markets, especially in the UK and Europe. But still, close to 80% of cruisers are from North America and not everyone is convinced that the North American economy – especially the U.S. portion – is heading back to health. As the Christian Science Monitor recently put it: “Ships are getting bigger and Americans are getting poorer.” The publication pointed to a forecast of 1.6-million personal bankruptcies in the U.S. this year, coupled with an unemployment rate near 10%. Those figures certainly encourage pause for thought, but so far the cruise business seems to have weathered the storm remarkably well – Carnival Cruise Corp. for one just posted a $250-million profit for the second quarter. And the industry continues to generate massive amounts of breathless press. Epic is all over the news this week and on Allure of the Seas, sister to world’s largest cruise ship Oasis of the Seas, made headlines recently when it announced that popular cartoon characters from DreamWorks will form a major part of onboard family entertainment is readying for its inaugural sailing this week Royal Caribbean obviously hopes the allure of cute cartoon Shrek and Donkey will keep the cruisers coming.

Big In Dubai: That’s The Way They Roll
In Dubai, it seems that small is just not an option. Take the Dubai World Central Al-Maktoum International airport: still under construction, the plan is to build the largest airport in the world with five runways, four terminal buildings and an annual capacity for 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo. The airport will be ten times the size of the current Dubai International Airport, which ranked as the 15^th busiest in the world in 2009, processing over 40 million passengers. Al-Maktoum saw its first test cargo flight land successfully this week, heralding the beginning of partial operations within a week or so. The airport is part of a $33-billion dollar Dubai World Central DWC project that will take the Emirate’s position as a global transport hub to a new level. The master plan includes six inter-related developments — the world’s largest airport, Dubai Logistics City, DWC Aviation City, DWC Residential City, DWC Commercial City and DWC Golf City. The names aren’t exactly compelling, but the scale of the projects is vast. As a point of comparison, the world’s busiest airport, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, served close to 90 million passengers in 2009, while Canada’s largest airport, Toronto’s Pearson International, handled just over 30 million passengers in 2009.

By: Bruce Parkinson
Bruce Parkinson is a travel industry journalist and regular contributor to Takeoffeh.com as well as sister company, OpenJaw.com

Photo Credits: epic.ncl.com, en.wikipedia.org

Cruising Advice for First-Timers

By macleans.ca - Monday, March 1, 2010 at 10:55 AM - 6 Comments

More than 13 million people around the world took a cruise last year – and 770,000 of those were Canadians. It was a record total for an industry that continues to grow, innovate and win plaudits for the quality and value of the experience provided.

If you’re thinking of walking the gangplank for the first time, here are some words of advice, culled from the cumulative experience of leading cruise sellers.

• Planning Your Journey
  The first task is to decide where you want to go and for how long. Cruises offer everything from one- or two-night excursions to 100-day, round-the-world odysseys. Most Canadians choose a cruise of seven days or longer, but three-day weekend and four-day midweek options are also available. This is where an experienced travel agent is almost essential. “With literally hundreds of ships and itineraries from which to choose, there truly is a cruise for everyone,” says Chris Russo, president of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA).  “But selecting the right cruise involves more than just picking your cabin — it’s not a one-size-fits-all vacation.”
• Cabin Fever
  If you plan to spend significant time in your cabin, choose the biggest room you can afford. On newer ships, balcony cabins are very popular – it’s a wonderfully relaxing experience to sit on your balcony watching the waves. Standard cabins have twin beds, which can usually be converted into a queen-sized bed.
• Specialist Advice
  Many travel agencies employ certified cruise specialists who will help ensure details such as your cabin view not being obstructed by a lifeboat. They can often save you money on your cruise, but more importantly, they’re skilled at finding the best choice for your unique requirements. The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies offers a tool to help you find a cruise specialist near you. Click here to search.
• Better Safe than Sorry
  Things can go wrong, and travel insurance is a small price to pay for peace of mind. A good policy will not only cover you for trip cancellation, but also missed connections, lost or delayed baggage, emergency medical and dental expenses and emergency legal assistance.
• What’s The Real Price?
  The advertised prices you see are usually for the smallest cabin on a specific sailing date. With most cruise lines, the fare includes your cabin, on-board entertainment and food. Other items to consider when budgeting your trip include: departure taxes and port charges; shore excursions, alcoholic beverages and on-board extras such as gambling, spa treatments and cover charges for specialty restaurants. As the industry expands, different pricing models are emerging, with some including crew gratuities, alcohol and even some shore excursions in one price.
• Shore’nuff
  When your ship stops at a port of call, you have three options: stay on board, explore by yourself or take an excursion offered by the cruise line. Talk to your travel agent about your expectations – what you want to see and experience while in port.
• Healthy Sailing
  Seasickness is much less common nowadays as the ship’s immense size and high-tech motion stabilizers control gentle rocking. Once on board, spend some time on deck and focus on a fixed point of the horizon to help you adjust and get your ‘sea legs’ quickly. Be sure to pack your complete health information with you on your trip, with your medical history, insurance information, contact person in case of emergency, blood type and list of allergies, medications and immunizations.

Have a great cruise!

Photo Credits: princess.com, crystalcruises.com



On Board Oasis of the Seas

By Bruce Parkinson, Takeoffeh.com - Friday, December 4, 2009 at 2:50 PM - 0 Comments

On Royal Caribbean’s new Oasis of the Seas you can bring your whole family – heck, you can bring your whole town.

You’ve no doubt heard some of the long and startling list of Oasis superlatives in the massive media build-up to its launch: capable of carrying over 6,000 passengers and 2,200 crew; 37 bars, 24 restaurants, 21 pools and whirlpools, an outdoor Central Park with 12,000 plants and trees – the list goes on.

Many cruise ships have been called floating resorts. Oasis takes it a step further: it’s a floating destination, with more dining, entertainment and recreational options than just about any beach resort on the planet. In fact, Royal Caribbean describes the ship as “an urban community at sea,” where guests can seek out ‘neighbourhoods’ that match their tastes and personalities.

Couples, singles and groups of friends are all more than welcome on Oasis, and there truly is something for everybody. But as Ken Muscat, Royal Caribbean International’s VP Sales points out: “This ship is definitely designed for families.” Muscat says it’s too early to tell – the first Oasis passenger cruise departs December 5 – but he expects that nuclear and multi-generational families will represent around 50% of Oasis passengers.

TakeOffeh.com joined thousands of travel agents on a late November 2-night ‘cruise to nowhere’ with the express purpose of checking out Oasis from the perspective of family travellers. Here’s what we found:

For the Kids: Because their happiness is essential to the happiness of the whole.

There’s no doubt about it: Oasis is a paradise for kids, from babies to teens. Even before you consider one of the most professional and elaborate organized children’s programs on sea or land, there are a host of other attractions guaranteed to rev up young spirits. There are basketball courts, Flow Rider surfing simulators, towering rock climbing walls, a mini-golf course and the H2O pool and water park complex.

The Boardwalk is one of the ship’s seven ‘neighbourhoods,’ described as ‘the first seaside spot at sea.’ It’s certain to be a child’s ship highlight. And it really does have that Coney Island atmosphere, with an authentic copy of an old-fashioned carousel, carnival games, a temporary tattoo parlour and a series of family-friendly restaurants and snack bars, including Johnny Rocket’s burgers, the Seafood Shack, the Boardwalk Donut Shop, an ice cream parlour and a candy store. The Aqua Theater on the Boardwalk features an 18-foot deep pool where the family-oriented diving show takes place, with divers plunging from dizzying heights above the deck.

This area is also home to the rock-climbing walls and the zip-line, which crosses over the main boardwalk. Some of the inside cabins feature balconies overlooking the Boardwalk, which Muscat describes as “a dream come true for the kids.”

Another kid-friendly neighbourhood is the Youth Zone, housed in a spacious 29,000 sq. ft. area. It is home to Kids Avenue, which links various themed sections including Royal Caribbean’s first nursery at sea for infants and toddlers, as well as separate spaces for 3-5, 6-8 and 9-11-year-olds. The facilities are superb, and Royal Caribbean has teamed up with major child brands like Fisher-Price and Crayola to create spaces like the Imagination Studio for arts and crafts, and the fully-equipped Adventure Science Lab. There’s also a good-sized video arcade for kids with itchy fingers.

Adventure Ocean Is the Oasis children’s program, and it’s highly impressive. One major feature is a 100-seat theatre where kids can present their own productions developed during the cruise, or watch a professional black light puppet show.

Adventure Ocean is headed up by Hamilton, Ontario’s own Jenny Beaudoin, who leads a team that includes eight Canadians, including seven from Southern Ontario. All of the staff hold degrees in education as well as extensive training in child care and first aid. “The quality of staff and care we provide would be very expensive on land,” Beaudoin says.

She describes the program as ‘edutainment,’ with separate science and art curricula. “I guarantee that any child will walk away learning something new, because we bring learning to life. And it doesn’t hurt a bit,” she laughs. In fact, Beaudoin says, some parents feel the Adventure Ocean kids program (there are other versions on several other Royal Caribbean ships) is a little too successful. “Kids like it so much they sometimes don’t want to leave to do things with their parents.”

Royal Caribbean took the distinct needs of moody, hormonal teens into account when designing Oasis. Teen facilities are one deck up from Kids Avenue, offering some separation from those annoying younger kids. Teens have great choices too, without the structure formal programming. The Living Room features a mock-tail bar, DJ classes and banks of computers for web surfing and Wii playing. Fuel is a disco and hangout space and there’s also The Deck, an outdoor meet-and-mingle spaced aimed at teens on the pool deck.

For the Parents: Because they need adult time too.

While the kids are off having fun, parents and grandparents can create their own version. They can shop, dine, spa, relax by a pool or settle into a hot tub cantilevered over the side of the ship 136’ above the water. They can take to the running track, stroll through Central Park, sample vintages at a wine bar, visit the well-equipped gym or borrow the latest thriller from the ship library. With nearly 2,000 balconies among the 2,700 staterooms, they can enjoy the ocean view or people-watch from the innovative inside balconies.

My Family Time Dining is a smart concept that offers an expedited 40-minute dining experience for cruisers 3-11. Parents can join in the meal or just spend time with the kids while they eat. Adventure Ocean staff will pick up the kids for the evening while parents can go on to enjoy a leisurely meal.

For pre-teens, there are supervised activities offered from 7-10 p.m. as well as on shore excursion days. This means parents can enjoy evening shows if they wish, and take a shore excursion without dragging along unwilling kids.

For the Family: Because holidays create lasting shared memories.

The family experience on Oasis begins with the accommodations. Among the 37 different stateroom categories are several designed expressly for families and family groups. Among them are family staterooms with ocean-view or Boardwalk-view balconies and spacious suites with equally large balconies.

There are all kinds of opportunities for shared family time on Oasis. At family restaurant Giovanni’s Table kids can try their hand and making their own pizza dough. There’s a weekly Lollapalooza Street Party with a Dr. Seuss theme. The Ice Show is another event sure to be popular with families.

Adventure Ocean also offers opportunities for together time, with things like family karaoke, family Wii and a ‘family nightclub.’ On the last day of the cruise parents are invited to Kids Avenue to enjoy being a ‘Kid for a Bit.’

“We ensure every single member of the family has a unique cruise experience,” says Adventure Ocean’s Beaudoin. “Kids have a completely different experience that is tailored just for them. I think this is the place to be for a family vacation that everyone will enjoy and remember.”

Bruce Parkinson is a travel industry journalist and regular contributor to TakeOffeh.com as well as sister company, OpenJaw.com

Photo Credits: ursispaltenstein.ch, 1.bp.blogspot.com, z.about.com, Bruce Parkinson, oasisoftheseas.com

This week’s travel news

By Suzanne Christie, Takeoffeh.com - Monday, November 16, 2009 at 1:26 PM - 0 Comments

This Week’s Take offers you a capsule summary of the high and low lights of TakeOffeh.com’s Daily Dispatches from the past seven days.

Suzanne Christie is standing in for Bruce who is taking a much needed holiday this week

Need A Nap… Slip Into A Sleepbox
Clever Russian architects from the Arch Group have developed a snug personal enclave as the perfect spot to sleep in airports or train stations. The idea is a step up from the acrobatics of involved in stretching out on a row of chairs. The Sleepbox is 2 metres long by 1.4 metres wide – just room enough for a narrow bed and a tiny desk. Time would be purchased in a similar fashion to a parking space – and the beds are equipped with an automatic linen changing conveyor belt apparatus (sort of like those public washroom toilet seats). The only glitch… airports may not want to be the purveyors of an ideal spot for a quickie of another variety, so, we’re not sure if this restful idea will take off, eh.

Line Up… Single File…. March…
Seats are so yesterday. First it was Ryanair’s idea-junky, Michael O’Leary, suggesting he would create aircraft where passengers would be strapped into a standing position, and now we have British firm Design Q suggesting that face to face rows of seating, military aircraft style, would work on commercial aircraft. They say their MaxCabin will be cheaper to build and cram in more passengers. Their design guru points out that inward facing seating is used on other forms of public transportation… subways and buses, but does admit it would take some getting used to and really only suits short haul flights. Very short, we hope.

A Step Up…
Since we’re on the topic of travelling comfortably, Boston’s Jacob Innovations has introduced the concept of two tier business class seating – sort of a bunk bed concept for stretching out in private space.

Roomier Bargains…
Hotel rates have been on a downward trajectory over the past year and while the economy is creeping back up, hotel rates are not expected to keep pace. It’s anticipated that average daily rates will continue to slide well into 2010 as many new hotels flooded onto the market at the wrong time. Hotels being static structures aren’t able to adapt the capacity on offer, so unlike the airline segment of the travel industry, are still battling the supply and demand dilemma by competing with lower pricing.

Upping The Offer…
While continuing to lower their rates, hotels are also upping the quality of the offer. More hotels and resorts have achieved the Five Star rating category this year than ever. Hoteliers are apparently working harder than ever to offer a top notch lodging experience… at a lower price than ever. The number of properties in the U.S., Canada and China that have achieved Forbes Travel Guide Five Star ranking has increased over the past year as have AAA’s diamond awards to hotels and resorts in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

We’ll Tip When We Bloody Well Feel Like Tipping…
Consumers are rebelling against the cruise lines’ endemic system of automatically adding gratuities to all their services, regardless of the … service. Passengers are indicating they’re mad as hell about it, and they aren’t going to take it anymore.

Consumer displeasure at subsidizing crew salaries with institutionalized tipping has shaken up cruise giant Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines who have advised they are “rethinking” their policy. In theory, tipping is discretionary, but, with several lines including Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard and MSC, it is hard to avoid since they automatically charge gratuities to passengers’ onboard accounts. Other operators, such as Celebrity, P&O and Royal Caribbean, provide passengers with envelopes into which it is suggested they tip at a recommended rate. The cruise lines would prefer their guests pay their gratuities up front when they book their cruise… but, even if policies change, the result may be the same should they attempt to make up the shortfall with an increase in pricing.

Bruce Parkinson is a travel industry journalist and regular contributor to TakeOffeh.com as well as sister company, OpenJaw.com

Photo Credits: treehugger.com, theage.com, theage.com, cunard.com