Santa's Not Just Making Toys in His Village Above the Arctic Circle in Lapland
It’s exactly 3 months until Christmas, and we know Santa and his elves are working full throttle. But not just putting in overtime in the workshop and training the team for their big flight Christmas Eve. Santa's got a new summer gig.Finnish Lapland, with its Arctic landscapes, Northern Lights, ancient winter customs and herds of wild reindeer, is a natural bucket-list destination for Christmas lovers.Santa Claus Village in Finnish Lapland keeps the spirit of the original, Northern European Christmas alive year...
Cruising Again by November? Industry Association Lays Out Formula to Start Sailing
You might be on a cruise in the Caribbean before the holidays.Cruising in the Americas – that’s the cruise region for the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America - could begin again in about a month’s time, if significant industry developments this week bear fruit.Testing the Waters in EuropeAny regular reader of our newsletters will know we’ve been following the slow progress of cruising’s return.In the Spring in response to the pandemic, Europe-based cruise lines repatriated their ships to home waters....
Roundup of the NEW, COVID Insurance Options for Canadian Travellers
In less than a month, the landscape for Canadian travellers has been transformed.Back in March, the COVID-19 virus was determined to be a ‘known factor’ and so it was no longer covered by regular travel medical insurance policies. Since then, Canadians who have wanted to travel have not had coverage for expenses incurred if they contracted the virus while abroad.All that changed just a couple of weeks ago. With much of the world learning to manage the pandemic, and commonly-accepted safety...
Post-COVID's Biggest Travel Trend is... Small
As the world prepares to travel again, there’s a huge trend emerging: going small. We know what the ingredients of travel are going to be in the immediate post-pandemic future of travel: More space. More privacy. More flexibility. The travel industry is rising to the occasion with an innovative sweep of new, and newly-important touring options that make touring with your own ‘bubble’ – whether it’s your family, extended family, group of friends or couples on their own – suddenly easy. Smaller groups....
Meet the Luxury, All-Inclusive Expedition Cruise Line Launching Soon - Yes, during COVID
Meet the Luxury, All-Inclusive Expedition Cruise Line Launching during COVID You might call it bucking a trend. Atlas Ocean Voyages is debuting, even during the global pandemic that currently has all cruises put on pause.The new cruise line’s first ship is ahead of schedule to launch in July 2021. World Navigator will be the first of 5 new ships for the new cruise line. All 5 ships will be sailing by 2023Adventure meets LuxuryAtlas Ocean Voyages ticks all the boxes for lovers of...
Well, We Aren't Going to Miss This. Major US Airlines Drop Most-Hated Fee
The first announcement was a bombshell. Then, like dominoes, they all fell.United Airlines started the landslide when it revealed it was dropping change fees - forever. Why?Air passengers in the US dropped to below 100,000 a day at the peak of the pandemic travel shutdown – recovering to 10 X that number over the last month, which is still only a drop in the bucket of pre-COVID air travel rates. Something had to give.Change fees – at United, it cost...
Seize the End of Summer with Recipes Inspired by Favorite American Hot Weather Travel Destinations
The kids are back to school (whatever that looks like this year for your nearest and dearest), but on the calendar, summer isn’t quite over – yet. The Autumn Equinox – the first day of Fall – arrives this year on Tuesday September 22, so we still have a couple more weekends of ‘summer’.You may not have done all the traveling you wanted this summer, but you can catch up now in spirit. Serve up an celebration of summer travel with a...
Hidden Secrets and Natural Wonders of 4 Costa Rican Volcanoes
From breathtaking beaches, up through rainforests and cloud forests, Costa Rica’s terrain rises from the sea to mountain ranges and, like icing on a scenic cake, a string of volcanoes that are evidence of the country’s location on the Pacific Ring of Fire.There are over 200 identifiable volcanoes in Costa Rica that date back more than 65 million years. Half of those show volcanic activity but only half a dozen are classified as active volcanoes.Costa Rica’s volcanoes are signature features...
This Cruise Line Kicked Guests off a Cruise. Here's Why it's Good News for You and Cruise Travel
Guests left behind when a ship sails away is usually an unfortunate situation no cruise line likes to talk about. But when it happened last week in Naples, cheers rang out around the world.The guests weren’t late, which is usually how guests miss ships.Earlier this summer, Europe-based MSC Cruises had announced its new COVID-era health and safety protocols, developed closely with European authorities that included measures you’d expect plus:· pre-screening every guest and crew member before boarding;· daily checks and onboard virus detection...
Top 3 Travel Destinations to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the End of WW2 in the Pacific
2020 has been an eventful year, with many firsts for the history books.But 2020 also marks some big anniversaries. Earlier this year, the Allies of World War 2 commemorated the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe, the end of the war against the Nazis.And now, short months later, V-J Day. Another epic moment in the history of the world: the 75th anniversary of the end of the War in the Pacific. Unlike V-E Day, V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day or V-P...