Gadling

Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee: 2012's other major British event

Alex Robertson Textor — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, United Kingdom, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Caribbean

In London, signs of the coming Olympics are everywhere. Barclays Cycle Hire docking stations have begun to expand into East London toward key Olympics sites, billboards urge drivers to begin to think about how they'll deal with increased traffic, and the Prime Minister is busy warning unions that the prospect of a strike during the Olympics would be "unacceptable and unpatriotic."

Meanwhile, outside of London, a number of cities have banded together as Heritage Cities in part to lure those tourists brought to London by the Olympics away from the capital.

But the Olympics are not the only event drawing visitors to the UK this year. 2012 is also the year of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, the 60th anniversary of her coronation as Queen. The Diamond Jubilee will reach its peak during what is being called the Diamond Jubilee central weekend, from June 2 through 5. The weekend will be characterized by some serious pomp and circumstance. Events will include a 1000-boat pageant on the Thames on June 3, a BBC Concert at Buckingham Palace on June 4, and a special Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral followed by a carriage procession on June 5.

In addition to this peak period, there are a number of other events planned in the lead-up to the weekend and beyond.

For example, members of the Royal Family are traveling around the UK, the UK's Crown Dependencies, the UK's Overseas Territories, and Commonwealth to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Currently, Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex and his wife the Countess of Wessex are on a two-week commemorative Caribbean visit, taking in St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, and Antigua and Barbuda. Locals and tourists alike in the region might just run across Edward and Sophie through March 7.

The Queen and Prince Philip's travel schedule begins March 8 in Leicester and finishes off on what looks like a very busy July 25, taking in Cowes, the Isle of Wight, New Forest, and Hampshire.

There is an official website for taking stock of Diamond Jubilee events. There's also a handy Google map allowing visitors to see where various members of the Royal Family will be celebrating the Queen's reign throughout the year. (Spoiler alert: Harry got Jamaica.) Visitors can play with an interactive timeline of the last 60 years and also send a message to the Queen. And there's the crucial bit of information that Andrew Lloyd Webber is co-authoring a Diamond Jubilee song.

[Image: Flickr | quinn.anya]

Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee: 2012's other major British event originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The 10 smallest countries in the world

Alex Robertson Textor — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Oceania, Maldives, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, St. Kitts & Nevis, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu, Caribbean

The world's ten smallest countries in terms of area fall into two general categories: European microstates (Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican) and small island nations of the Indian Ocean, Pacific, and Caribbean (Maldives, Marshall Islands, Nauru, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Tuvalu.) Some of these countries are quite new as independent nations: Tuvalu gained independence from the UK in 1978, while the Marshall Islands gained full independence from the US in 1986. Others have been around for a very long time. San Marino dates its founding as a republic to 301. These countries vary greatly from one another along other axes as well: population, income, life expectancy, industry, tourist facilities, and membership in various international organizations.

Gallery: World's ten smallest countries

[Image of Tuvalu: Flickr | leighblackall]

The 10 smallest countries in the world originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deal watch: Royal wedding vacation packages

Chris Owen — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Festivals and Events, Europe, North America, United Kingdom, Antigua and Barbuda, Mexico, St. Kitts & Nevis, United States, Hotels and Accommodations, Travel Deals, Caribbean, Luxury Travel

With the Royal Wedding just days away, its not too late to get into the frenzied madness with a royal getaway fit for you, the non-royal regular person. Here are some special offers from a variety of different resorts scattered around the globe with prices between $149 for a one-night getaway (just so you can say you did something special) to $2,250 for a four-night package (so you can say you did something really special).

Enjoy a royal getaway to the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida, when you book the Royal Romance Berries & Bubbly Package on April 29, 2011. The package includes accommodations in a luxury room or resort suite category of your choice, champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries on the night of arrival and complimentary breakfast for two each morning. A package savings of over 20 percent.
Rates start at: $299 per night
Valid for travel: April 29 through December 30, 2011
Reservations: Visit www.sandpearl.com and use promo code ROYAL in the Corporate / Promotion box, or call 1-877-726-3111 and ask for promotional code ROYAL.

Continue reading Deal watch: Royal wedding vacation packages

Deal watch: Royal wedding vacation packages originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Take another look at these ten top cruise ports

Chris Owen — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: North America, United Kingdom, Barbados, Jamaica, Mexico, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, United States, Cruises, Caribbean

If you travel by cruise ship, there's not a lot of choice in the matter. Cruise lines have a variety of islands to visit but the choices are limited with many itineraries virtually the same from ship to ship. Still, you are not required to get in line and go along with the crowd. Consider the cruise ship no more than the way you got there when thinking of what to do ashore. Planning as though you took a flight, not a cruise ship, puts things in a way better perspective. Think of yourself as a traveler who came by sea. No, really. Think that way and even ports you may have been to several times will have a fresh, new look and feel.

If you travel by air, flying can get you to islands not serviced regularly by cruise lines or maybe islands you might have sampled on a cruise and said "I think I could come back and do this again, without the ship". If you have ever been on a cruise you probably said that at one time or another.

Sure, a cruise vacation is often a best value for travel. Good, glad to hear it. Now let's take that a step further and get more out of your cruise by thinking a bit differently about common cruise ports visited by most every cruise line. Let's look at ten top Caribbean islands and cruise ports.

Continue reading Take another look at these ten top cruise ports

Take another look at these ten top cruise ports originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cruise line scams: Shore Excursions

Chris Owen — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, North America, South America, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, Guyana, Budget Travel, Internet Tools, Cruises, Central America, Caribbean

Going ashore can be one of the best parts of a cruise and one of the reasons many travelers choose a cruise vacation in the first place. From the comfort of your floating hotel, you can see multiple destinations but only have to unpack once. Cruise lines offer a wide variety of excursions at each port of call and encourage passengers to join. Some are over-priced but carry an implied level of safety that might not be entirely accurate.

The potential scam-like claim here is "Oh, you don't want to go out on your own on a shore excursion. If they're late getting you back, the ship will leave without you"

Yes, they could do that. Will they? Probably not. How likely is that to happen? Not likely at all.

Often, the same companies and people that do shore excursions for the cruise lines also do them independently. Still, the cruise lines say they do investigate and follow up on excursion providers to see how they are doing, holding them to high standards.

Alternatives to ship-sponsored excursions. Shoretrips.com, is a third-party service that provides excursions world-wide. Owners Julie and Barry from Milwaukee, Wisconsin travel to each of the destinations and insure that their tours are safe and interesting. Often, Shoretrips.com excursions are less expensive and less crowded too. Booking more than 200,000 people a year, they have yet to leave someone behind.

Let's talk price. A pretty easy-to-compare excursion in Cozumel, Mexico, Swimming with the Dolphins is $129 for adults or children on Carnival Cruise Lines. Shoretrips.com has that dolphin swim for $79 for adults and $77 for children. That's about 40% less than the cruise line. Prices vary among lines too. Royal Caribbean has that dolphin swim for $99. Their price is better than Carnival but not as good as Shoretrips.com.

Another option is to go with someone recommended by a trusted friend or a travel blogger you've come to know. Reliable independent operators know what they are competing with on the cruise line excursion offerings and almost always offer a better value. That might come in the form of a lower price or a similar price with a better experience.

Get good information. A good source for reliable travel information about specific ports of call is AOL travel guides. Good discussion and very current, personal information can be found at CruiseCritic.com. Your good travel agent/expert should have recommendations also.

I'm really not trying to talk you out of the ship-sponsored shore excursions. They're good. Nothing wrong with them. But there are alternatives that are just as safe (or not) as third-party vendors.

Cruise lines have their share of problems with excursions.

Continue reading Cruise line scams: Shore Excursions

Cruise line scams: Shore Excursions originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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5 tips for people who really don't want to go on a cruise

Chris Owen — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: North America, Morocco, United Kingdom, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, New Zealand, Cruises, Central America, Caribbean

Maybe hiking, biking, backpacking or pretty much any other minimizing endeavor is more what you have in mind for traveling but someone is dragging you along on a cruise. There's just no way you're getting out of it. Is there hope for you? Yes. A little. Not much. But some.

Pace yourself- Food will always be available 24 hours a day on board. You might not be used to that with your triathlon training and all so do some stomach stretching exercises prior to boarding. You will need the extra room. Stop pouting that there are no granola bars or energy drinks. There are. On cruises they are called "shots" and you find them at the bars. You'll enjoy the walk to get them and recent studies suggest those extra steps will help prevent diabetes.

No barfing- You are concerned about the possibility of becoming sea sick because the little path on your normal mountain hike doesn't really move around much. Think of it like that and yeah, you probably will be. Prepare for shooting the rapids in Colorado with somebody who doesn't know what they're doing and you'll be fine. It could be worse. You could have been invited along for a taping of Paris Hilton's new reality show.

Know where you are going- Take time before the cruise to check out a travel guide on the places you will visit. Duh. Just because you don't have any say in where the ship goes doesn't mean you can't meet fun and find interesting people. You probably won't find any of them on the ship but maybe when you go ashore.

Careful with spending- The food is included in the price of your cruise but that's about it. Beverages, both alcoholic and sodas are not included. Want a sip of water? You'll pay $23.54 for that. This is why people smuggle booze on the ship. They do have beds so leave your sleeping bag at home with your tent. Bring your flashlight though, cruise passenger are fascinated by shiny things.

Relax. That may seem like a silly tip but you would be surprised how many people try to pack so much into every day that they need a vacation after they get back from their cruise to recuperate. Know this as a fact: There are way too many things to do and you can not possibly do them all. To be more accurate, there are too many things to do that you will think are stupid so bring a telescope and memorize the sky. Maybe you can find a 14th sign of the zodiac.

Flickr photo by Robbie Howell

5 tips for people who really don't want to go on a cruise originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feds threaten: cruise line pollution must stop

Chris Owen — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: North America, Canada, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, United States, Cruises, Caribbean

New emission rules for cruise ships and other large vessels are set to go into effect in late 2013.

A United Nations plan to control emissions from ships sailing within 200 nautical miles of the U.S. and Canadian coasts initially excluded the U.S, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico which pretty much left the Caribbean wide open for uncontrolled cruise line pollution.

Ships often use lower costing fuels with high sulphur levels outside of U.S. government jurisdiction, changing to cleaner fuels as they approach U.S. ports.

Under the plan, which would now include the U.S Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, ships would be required to use cleaner fuel or install special pollution reducing equipment to reduce air pollution. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that asthma and cancer-causing pollutants could be cut by about 90% in a decade.

Under the plan, which needs approval from the United Nations' London-based International Maritime Organization, EPA officials could randomly show up at ports to inspect ships and enforcement will be tough. The penalties have not yet been established, but impounding ships has been suggested as one option, said Elias Rodriguez, an EPA spokesperson.

Flickr photo by lecates

Feds threaten: cruise line pollution must stop originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gadling's favorite destinations for 2011

Alex Robertson Textor — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Ethiopia, Zambia, China, Japan, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Italy, Moldova, Switzerland, Dominica, Mexico, Nicaragua, St. Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, Ecuador, Peru, Central America, Caribbean

We travel a lot, to destinations both well-known and unfamiliar. In our defense, it is our job to travel like mad, to explore the world and then write about our discoveries.

Though most travel writers find something or other of interest in most places we visit, there are always those personal favorites that rise above the rest. This year, we decided to scribble our favorites down for you. Some of these spots we're tipping for greater coverage in 2011, while others are simply tried-and-true favorites that we can't stop raving about to our friends and the various publications that allow us to write for them. Over the course of this week, we'll weigh in on our favorite hotels, airlines, gadgets, apps, and websites.

So, without further ado: Gadling's favorite destinations for 2011.

Mike Barish. St. Kitts. I genuinely enjoy how locals and visitors frequent the same beach bars and restaurants. During evenings on the strip, I'd recognize staff members from my hotel doing the same thing I was doing: enjoying the ocean breeze with a cocktail and some jerk chicken.

Kraig Becker. Everest Base Camp, Nepal. For adventure travelers, a visit to Everest Base Camp is one of the best treks in the world. The 12-day hike isn't just about the destination, however, as you walk in the shadow of the Himalaya each day, passing through sleepy mountain villages steeped in Sherpa culture along the way. The scenery, and altitude, is a breathtaking once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Continue reading Gadling's favorite destinations for 2011

Gadling's favorite destinations for 2011 originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The world's longest and shortest flights

Andrew Evans — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Asia, Europe, North America, Singapore, United Kingdom, St. Kitts & Nevis, United States, Airlines, Transportation, Travel Trivia, Caribbean

Because you're just apoplectic to find out how you can maximize your time on an airplane, right? We covered this a while back, but things keep changing: planes keep getting bigger, stronger, and faster, routes change based on demand and somehow, we keep increasing our tolerance for being locked up and pressurized like pringles in a can. Fortunately, the world's many airline nerds have already done the technical legwork--we just had to fact check:

At present, the world's longest non-stop commercial flight is Singapore Airlines SQ21 from Newark Liberty (EWR) to Singapore Changi International (SIN) clocking in at a whopping 18 hours 50 minutes! Thankfully, the huge all-business-class Airbus A340-500 and world-famous in-flight service makes the halfway-around-the-world jaunt from New Jersey quite bearable. (In that same time, you could drive from Newark to Kansas City.)
The world's shortest regularly-scheduled, non-stop commercial flight is on Scotland's Loganair, from the island of Westray (WRY) to Papa Westray (PSV) in the Orkney Islands, clocking in at a meager 2 minutes (so I'm guessing there's no beverage service).There are plenty of other super short commercial flights all over the world, mostly inter-island and commuter connections. The Caribbean's LIAT flight between the islands of St. Kitt's (SKB) and Nevis (NEV) is scheduled at 15 minutes long but rarely takes more than 5 minutes from take-off to landing.

(Photo Flickr: William James Tychonievich)

The world's longest and shortest flights originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spend Valentine's Day in Nevis, save 25 percent

Tom Johansmeyer — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: St. Kitts & Nevis, Caribbean

If you want to do something truly spectacular for Valentine's Day, you need to get started immediately. The best spots will disappear quickly. Among the hot deals that are out there is a getaway to the Montpelier Plantation Resort in Nevis. For a mere $574 a night at this upscale destination, you can enjoy the warmth and seclusion of a small Caribbean island accessible only by boat ... but a mere six minutes from St. Kitts. To take advantage of this rate, which is $183 a night off the normal rate for the season, you'll have to stay for at least five days. That won't be hard to handle at this 19-room resort (each with a private entrance), which sits along a secluded beach, boasts a 60-foot swimming pool and has a fantastic wine bar.

In addition to saving a ton of cash on your room rate, you'll also get a full breakfast and afternoon every day, an aromatherapy massage for two, a private guided hike for two in the rain forest and unlimited use of tennis and snorkeling equipment. The culinary perks include a lunch specially prepared by the resort's chef, served poolside with champagne, two four-course dinners at the Terrace restaurant and a romantic dinner at the Mill Restaurant.

Spend Valentine's Day in Nevis, save 25 percent originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photo of the Day (08/26/06)

Adrienne Wilson — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 12:52:00 EST

Filed under: North America, St. Kitts & Nevis, Photo of the Day

While this woman chugs away at designing a dress or costume in the Carabelle Batik Factory in St. Kitts, I can't help thinking how nice and cozy her workspace looks. How I'd love to spend a week blogging or writing a children's picture book story in a place like that. Anyhow, I imagine she'll grab a cool glass of coconut water or something with a little rum in it afterwards to quench her thirst from a long day of work. Do you know K W Baker? As always thanks, for leaving a little for the imagination in the Gadling Flickr pool.

Photo of the Day (08/26/06) originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 26 Aug 2006 12:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgin Holidays & Cricket World Cup 2007

Adrienne Wilson — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 15:39:00 EST

Filed under: Festivals and Events, North America, South America, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Airlines

Hopeful fans of Trinidad & Tobago's Soca Warriors raced over to Germany for the 2006 FIFA World Cup games and returned without a cup, but with more determination than ever for the next installment in 2010. In the meantime they get to lounge lazily on their sister islands whiling and liming away the day until the next big thing, which for Trinidad is never too long of a wait.

Sports fans can continue to cheer and root for their favorite country team during the 2007 Cricket World Cup games being held for the first time ever all over the Caribbean. Trinidad & Tobago is only one set of islands playing host and Virgin Holidays is offering packages to get you there. The matches are being held in March and April of 2007 and packages are going fast. See Virgin Holidays for more details on getting you to unspoiled West Indian beaches, then visit their partner Cavendish Hospitality to find match tickets. Other islands hosting the games include Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts. St. Vincent and Guyana will also host games, but it doesn't look as if Virgin Holidays will be offering packages to vaca in these two tropical countries.

Let the games begin, again!

Virgin Holidays & Cricket World Cup 2007 originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 26 Jul 2006 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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