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Travel Photo Tips, Cruise Line Secrets

Ed Boitano — Sat, 30 Jun 2018 01:17:20 +0000

Happy Summer Season from the Staff at Traveling Boy

We have designated this summer to think of those who suffer from great sorry and misfortune. Here are some of our favorite charities.

Secrets the Cruise Lines Don’t Tell You

Courtesy Cruise Critic

The more you cruise, the more you pick up on the unofficial secrets the cruise lines don’t tell you — which give you more options, let you save money and generally allow you to have a better time on board. Don’t miss out on these hidden gems.

How to Take Your Own Passport Photo

Courtesy, Caroline Morse Teel, SmarterTravel

After paying $15 to have an awkward photoshoot in the aisle of a CVS, only to have my passport photos rejected twice (once for being too dark and once for being too bright), I decided there had to be a better way to take your own passport photo. Turns out, snapping your own passport photo is easier, cheaper, and much more convenient than going to a “professional” (a.k.a., the cashier at your local drugstore). Here’s a few tips:

New Guidebook to Promote Animal-Friendly Tourism

Animal-loving travellers are now able to enjoy their holidays better equipped to avoid accidentally harming wildlife, with a new guidebook published by Horizon Guides in consultation with international wildlife charity Born Free.

Flights Are Getting More Uncomfortable — and That Might Be Your Fault

Flying has become cheaper in the last few decades, but it’s also become more stripped down. Passengers often forego previously complimentary perks — like in-flight meals, carry-on bags, and seat selection — in order to get the cheapest fare. Business Insider reported that 51% of respondents in a recent poll chose price as their top priority when selecting an airline. In some ways, this has been good by creating competition between airlines, resulting in cheaper fares — but it has also had negative consequences.

10 Countries Where the Dollar Goes Furthest in 2018

Courtesy Jamie Moore, SmarterTravel

Your hard-earned dollar can take you to some incredible places where favorable exchange rates and undervalued currencies get you more bang for your buck in 2018. While the greenback isn’t as strong as it was last year, the dollar goes further in several countries you might not have expected.

Transformational Travel

In theory, we’ve always known that travel has the power to transform. On a true journey, the sights, personal interactions and chance to experience local culture can all come together to provide powerful experiences that can be life-changing.

Photo Credit: Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay; Diana and Marcin from Poland @lostitalianos

Top 25 Most Interesting Webcams

Selected from hundreds of nominees by a panel of EarthCam producers, EarthCam announces the most unique and compelling webcams of the year.

2018’s Best Frequent Flyer Programs

Delta SkyMiles is the best frequent flyer program for the third straight year

With U.S. airlines expected to carry more than 600 million passengers on domestic flights this year and credit card debt levels exploding, we can expect airfare savings to be increasingly important in the months ahead.

TSA says old driver’s licenses OK for air travel until 2020

Transportation Security Administration spokesman Mike England announced that driver’s licenses from all states will be acceptable identification for domestic US air travel until Oct. 1, 2020. Airport signs had previously warned that licenses from some states would no longer be acceptable as of Jan. 22, 2018.

JetBlue’s ‘All You Can Jet’ Pass Is Back

Courtesy Cynthia Drescher

Courtesy JetBlue

How many free flights can you fit into one year?

Buy one flight, get a full year of flights for free. It sounds crazy, but it’s true for the next two weeks, as JetBlue awards travelers who book even one ticket on their website with a chance to win one of three ‘All You Can Jet’ passes for 2018. Dubbed “AYCJ” for short, the pass allows for unlimited travel from February 1, 2018 through January 31, 2019. Hopefully winners are bursting with wanderlust, as these AYCJ passes will be valid for flights to the more than 100 cities on JetBlue’s route map, including international destinations like Mexico City, Grand Cayman, Bermuda, St. Lucia, and Cartagena, Colombia.

Being on the ground in over 180 countries means you get the full story.

Together in Spirit – The Best Friends Animal Society

At the core of Best Friends Animal Society’s work is the dream that one day animals will no longer be killed in America’s shelters.

19 Tips for Better Travel Photos

Courtesy, Ed Hewitt SmarterTravel

The stunning landscape of the Friulo Venezia Guia Region of Northern Italy by Mario Verin

There are plenty of resources out there for folks with thousands of dollars of photographic equipment, but what about the rest of us — those of us with a point-and-shoot digital camera or even simply a smartphone? What can we do to get better travel photos? Following is a collection of low- and no-tech tips to help you improve your keeper count on your next trip.

Shanghai to Los Angeles in 5 Hours? Why Supersonic Air Travel Could Boom in Asia

Courtesy CNN Travel

Photo courtesy of Boom Supersonic

Shanghai to Los Angeles in about five hours, Tokyo to San Francisco in 5.5, Sydney to Los Angeles in 6.75: The next wave of supersonic flight could make traveling between destinations in the United States and Asia a breeze.

In recent years, a clutch of aeronautics startups has sparked renewed interest in supersonic travel, which stalled after the Concorde’s retirement in 2003.

How Cruise Lines Innovate When They Keep Building the Same Type of Ship

Courtesy Hannah Sampson, Skift

Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas inspired awe — and many headlines — when it launched in 2009 as the world’s largest cruise ship with 2,742 staterooms, nearly two dozen restaurants, seven neighborhoods, and a Central Park.

Norwegian Cruise Line expanded the race track on its newest ship, Norwegian Bliss. Photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line.

More than eight years later, Royal Caribbean is still launching Oasis-class ships, and still commanding headlines for the latest “world’s largest cruise ship.” That would be Symphony of the Seas, the fourth and slightly larger version of Oasis, which started sailing earlier this year.

Hotel Butler Service Is Really Nice. Is It Worth the Price?

The St. Regis New York has butlers as an amenity for guests. We arrived ready with requests, from coffee to ironing to cupcakes.

Courtesy Shivani Vora, NY Times

Photo courtesy of Tara Jacoby

Can a butler really make a hotel stay that much more extraordinary?

For a growing number of luxury properties that have butlers as an amenity for their guests, the answer is a resounding yes.

The World’s Most Popular Travel Experiences, According to TripAdvisor

Courtesy Carl Unger

TripAdvisor recently released its 2018 Travel Trends Report, naming the most popular travel experiences, tours, and activities booked by its users last year. The data points to a shift toward non-traditional and experiential activities as travelers look to expand their options.

Countries That Require Visas for Americans

The State Department’s Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS) administers the Consular Information Program, which informs the public of conditions abroad that may affect their safety and security. Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings are vital parts of this program.

How to Fight Jet Lag

Being outside during daylight, exercising early and avoiding caffeine, alcohol or nicotine before bedtime can help lessen the effects of jet lag after returning home across time zones. Complete recovery can take multiple days.

Volunteer Vacations with Projects Abroad

Choosing a volunteer vacation abroad is an increasingly popular option among people looking to do meaningful work during their vacation or career break. You can spend as little as 1 week volunteering in over 30 different countries around the world with Projects Abroad. By spending your vacation as a volunteer with Projects Abroad, you are joining a community of fellow volunteers and local people in developing countries – working hard, traveling, and having a good time while contributing to long-term impact.

12 Things You Should Never Do in an Airport Security Line

Courtesy Neil Gladstone

Photo courtesy: pittaya/Flickr

If you’ve ever wondered whether airport agents perform a necessary function, take a look at the TSA Instagram account. You’ll find a stupefying collection of objects confiscated from passengers, including axes, crossbows, and handguns (and that’s just in the last few days). Acting foolishly, though, can get you delayed from a flight or even detained. To help explain what you shouldn’t do in an airport security line, we tapped Lewis Sage-Passant, a former British infantry officer who is trained in intelligence and has worked in security and crisis management for several corporations, including Goldman-Sachs. These days, he runs How Safe Is My Trip, a company that creates advisory reports for people going to risky destinations.

Watch Out for These Tourist Traps in All 50 States

The post Travel Photo Tips, Cruise Line Secrets appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Smartphone Photography, Top Airports, Hotel on Skis

Ed Boitano — Sun, 01 Apr 2018 18:08:28 +0000

Happy April from the Staff at Traveling Boy

We have designated 2018 to think of those who suffer from great sorry and misfortune. Here are some of our favorite charities.

10 Countries Where the Dollar Goes Furthest in 2018

Courtesy Jamie Moore, SmarterTravel

Transformational Travel

Photo Credit: Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay; Diana and Marcin from Poland @lostitalianos

10 Secret French Villages to Discover Before the Crowds Do

Courtesy Sarah Schlichter, SmarterTravel

With tourists and motor coaches crowding their medieval streets, some French villages are in danger of being loved to death. These 10 villages aren’t completely off the tourist map, but they remain unspoiled by mass tourism, and offer visitors a glimpse of everyday life in the French countryside.

2018’s Best Frequent Flyer Programs

Delta SkyMiles is the best frequent flyer program for the third straight year

TSA says old driver’s licenses OK for air travel until 2020

JetBlue’s ‘All You Can Jet’ Pass Is Back

Courtesy Cynthia Drescher

Courtesy JetBlue

How many free flights can you fit into one year?

12 Things You Should Never Do in an Airport Security Line

Courtesy Neil Gladstone

Photo courtesy: pittaya/Flickr

Caribbean Hot Spots and Travel Trends for 2018

Courtesy Gay Nagle Myers

Photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

Who is going where this winter? And which destinations are trending? Steve Lassman, vice president of villa product and agency relations for Villas of Distinction, ticked off 2018’s five most sought after villa-vacation destinations, two of which — Turks and Caicos and Jamaica — are in the Caribbean.

Being on the ground in over 180 countries means you get the full story.

Together in Spirit – The Best Friends Animal Society

At the core of Best Friends Animal Society’s work is the dream that one day animals will no longer be killed in America’s shelters.

5 Smartphone Photography Tips from Thanda Safari

Christian Sperka Resident Wildlife Photographer and Field Guide at South African safari destination says you can travel light and photograph like a heavyweight.

Changi Airport Singapore is Voted the World’s Best Airport for the 6th Consecutive Year at the 2018 World Airport Awards

Singapore Changi Airport has been named as the World’s Best Airport by air travelers for the sixth consecutive year at the 2018 Skytrax World Airport Awards, held at Passenger Terminal EXPO in Stockholm, Sweden.

A New Hotel on Skis Is Launched in Finland, Perfect for Watching the Northern Lights in Bed

Photo credit: Kilpissafarit

Northern Finland is the site of a new hotel experience where a well-appointed glamping cabin is towed into a remote wilderness location, deep in the Arctic Circle. The cabin is one of three rooms that are then moved to an optimal spot for lying back to experience the Northern lights from the comfort of your bed.

México Tourism Launches New Heritage Initiative in Los Angeles

Photo courtesy: Mexico Department of Tourism

Fresh off a record-breaking year of visitation, the Mexico Tourism Board is rolling out a new marketing initiative, “Viajemos Todos por México,” (Let’s All Travel Across Mexico), with the aim of attracting many of the 35 million U.S. citizens who identify as being of Mexican descent. The campaign, which celebrates Mexico’s beauty and its cultural and natural wonders, is designed to remind Mexican-Americans that those treasures belong to them.

The World’s Most Popular Travel Experiences, According to TripAdvisor

Courtesy Carl Unger

Top 25 Most Interesting Webcams

Selected from hundreds of nominees by a panel of EarthCam producers, EarthCam announces the most unique and compelling webcams of the year.

Norwegian Named Value Airline of the Year by Air Transport World

Photo credit: Steve Bates/Norwegian Airlines

Norwegian, the World’s Best Low-Cost Long-Haul Airline and Airline of the Year 2017, was named on Feb. 12 the Value the Airline of the Year’ by Air Transport World, the leading monthly magazine for the airline industry, and will receive the award at the ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards on March 28.

The global panel of judges were highly impressed with Norwegian’s achievements and entrepreneurial spirit. Norwegian has truly shaken up the all-important transatlantic market, introducing quality service at low prices, and demonstrating that long-haul can be done at low cost.

Countries That Require Visas for Americans

How to Fight Jet Lag

Volunteer Vacations with Projects Abroad

The post Smartphone Photography, Top Airports, Hotel on Skis appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Catch Up With the Latest Traveling Boy News

Ed Boitano — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 03:40:37 +0000

Happy March from the Staff at Traveling Boy

We have designated 2018 to think of those who suffer from great sorry and misfortune. Here are some of our favorite charities.

Greece Cuisine, Culture & Wellness Tour

Featuring Celebrity Chef & Mediterranean Diet Advocate, Amy Riolo

Get Global Expeditions (GGEx) is excited to offer a late spring 2018 journey to Greece that will showcase its effusive hospitality, Zorba-like zest for living, staggering beauty, incredible history, contemporary challenges – and its trademark simple, delicious, and healthy cuisine – for which this country is renowned. GGEx’s Greece expert, Alex Safos, and celebrity chef, author, and Mediterranean Diet advocate, Amy Riolo, will lead this delectable, intimate, enlightening, and picturesque tour.

10 Countries Where the Dollar Goes Furthest in 2018

Courtesy Jamie Moore, SmarterTravel

Here are insider tips on the travel destinations where your dollar goes furthest in 2018.

Can’t Be Topped: Neapolitan-Style Pizza Making Wins UNESCO Heritage Status

Courtesy Amy Held, NPR

Photo courtesy of Amirali Mirhashemian via Unsplash

When a UNESCO World Heritage Site comes to mind, perhaps it has the natural splendor of the Great Barrier Reef or the imposing mastery of the Pyramids of Giza. Now one may look no further than the humble pizza for world heritage status. No, not the frozen kind, the old-school kind baked in a wood-fired oven. Recently, Pizzaiuolo, the art of Neopolitan pizza-making, was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO says the designation is meant to safeguard and raise awareness about forms of cultural heritage — often passed down from generation to generation — before they die out.

Traveling Boy’s Fyllis Hockman Wins Silver Excellence in Travel Journalism

The North American Travel Journalists Association’s (NATJA) Travel Media Awards Competition winners were announced February 5, 2018. The Media Awards are given to publications, travel journalists, and photographers whose work was published in print and online media.

Ms. Hockman took the highly-coveted silver for her stunning blog in Traveling Boy, “Exploring Venice: Lost and Found. And Special Finds. Repeat.” in the Byline Travel Column category, where there were over a 1000 entries in the contest.

Seven Seas Mariner Drydock to Complete Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ $125 Million Fleetwide Refurbishment Program

First all-suite, all-balcony ship to return to Alaskan waters more resplendent than ever and offers three-category upgrade for travelers

Photo courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the most inclusive luxury experience, confirmed details for the upcoming bow-to-stern refurbishment of Seven Seas Mariner, the world’s first all-suite, all-balcony cruise ship. After a 20-day drydock in April 2018 at Chantier Naval de Marseille, Seven Seas Mariner will re-emerge with dramatic new culinary experiences, elegant new suite designs, and completely renewed modern guest spaces. After her drydock refurbishment, Seven Seas Mariner will immediately reposition to the Pacific Northwest to take travelers on a fully immersive, luxury Alaska experience.

2018’s Best Frequent Flyer Programs

Delta SkyMiles is the best frequent flyer program for the third straight year

France and Germany Top New Sustainable Tourism Index by The Economist Intelligence Unit

TSA says old driver’s licenses OK for air travel until 2020

JetBlue’s ‘All You Can Jet’ Pass Is Back

Courtesy Cynthia Drescher

Courtesy JetBlue

How many free flights can you fit into one year?

10 of the World’s Craziest Landings

Courtesy Ashley Rossi

These 10 airports have some of the craziest landings in the world. Fretful flyers, you’ve been warned.

Flying can be a nerve-racking experience for fretful travelers; however, landings at these 10 airports are sure to frighten even the most frequent flyers. From an airport at the edge of a cliff to sandy beach landings, here are the world’s craziest runways — consider yourself warned.

12 Things You Should Never Do in an Airport Security Line

Courtesy Neil Gladstone

Photo courtesy: pittaya/Flickr

Top 25 Most Interesting Webcams

Selected from hundreds of nominees by a panel of EarthCam producers, EarthCam announces the most unique and compelling webcams of the year.

8 Weird Things You’re Allowed to Bring on Planes

Courtesy Stefanie Waldek

Many travelers know the drill when it comes to packing your carry-on bag for a flight. Make sure your bag fits the size and weight requirements. Check to see if you’re allowed to bring a personal item in addition to a full-sized carry-on. No liquids greater than 3.4 ounces, no firearms, no large sharp objects. There are seemingly endless banned items, but if you read the fine print, there’s actually a whole range of odd things that you’re actually allowed to fly with. Here, we name eight such items.

Falcons
Antlers
Christmas Trees
Pies and Cakes
Cremated Remains
Camp Stoves
Parachutes
Bowling Balls

Together in Spirit – The Best Friends Animal Society

At the core of Best Friends Animal Society’s work is the dream that one day animals will no longer be killed in America’s shelters.

2018’s Best Cities for St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

Courtesy Diana Popa, WalletHub

With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner and at least $5.9 billion expected to be spent for the holiday this year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2018’s Best Cities for St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations, along with cool stats about the holiday in its St. Patrick’s Day infographic.

To determine the best cities for celebrating Irish-American heritage, WalletHub compared 200 of the largest U.S. cities across 17 key metrics, ranging from Irish pubs and restaurants per capita to lowest price for a three-star hotel on St. Patrick’s Day to weather forecast.

México Tourism Launches New Heritage Initiative in Los Angeles

Photo courtesy: Mexico Department of Tourism

The World’s Most Popular Travel Experiences, According to TripAdvisor

Courtesy Carl Unger

Reinventing Travel: FlixBus Celebrates Five Years of Booming Business

Photo by flixbus.com

Five years ago, inspired by the deregulation of the German bus market, the first FlixBus hit the road with a goal of providing green and smart mobility for everyone to experience the world. Today, over 100 million people have travelled across Europe with FlixBus, disrupting the traditional view of long-distance travel and supporting the shared mobility trend.

The success of FlixBus spans multiple demographics, with 60 percent of users being females who choose the green buses as their preferred mode of shared mobility due to the safety, comfort and price point. Thirty-three percent of FlixBus customers are between 18 and 25 years old.

Austrian Wine Walking Tour

Herzerl Tours’ Austrian Wine Walking Tour has been nominated by InfoHub.com as their Unordinary Trip of the Month. InfoHub is the #1 travel portal on the Internet specialized in the out-of-ordinary, special interest adventures. The tour is a great opportunity to feel the taste of the genuine Austrian wine culture. Herzerl Tours is offering our guests a special prize!

Volunteer Vacations with Projects Abroad

Active Gourmet Holidays: Exceptional Travel Experiences

Unique French Cooking Vacation at Marouatte Castle in Southwest France

Active Gourmet Holidays brings its clients a culinary vacation that is set in a 14^th century fortified castle in Périgord Vert, France. Chateau Marouatte is a stunning castle steeped in history and now fully restored as an amazing family home.

Perched on a hill in the Green Périgord, Marouatte enjoys spectacular panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. This majestic environment is the perfect setting for creativity, inspiration and relaxation and has been a songwriting retreat for invited musicians and songwriters for over 20 years. Creating a culinary retreat was a natural next step.

Ways to Save in 2018

Eight tips to help keep your travel expenses nominal and your wallet fat this year.

Courtesy Lucas Peterson, New York Times

Last year may have been a disappointing Dumpster fire in countless ways, but it was a great year for travel deals — saving money has never been easier or more accessible to more people. Looking forward to 2018, there’s no reason to think it should be any different. Here are eight tips to help keep your travel expenses nominal and your wallet fat.

Norwegian Named Value Airline of the Year by Air Transport World

Photo credit: Steve Bates/Norwegian Airlines

Countries That Require Visas for Americans

Caribbean Hot Spots and Travel Trends for 2018

Courtesy Gay Nagle Myers

Photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

12 Ways to Have a Luxury Vacation for Less

Luxury travel usually means expensive travel. But you can take upscale vacations without breaking the bank. Here are some outside-the-box ways to get almost as much…for a lot less.

By Karen Tina Harrison

Choose Emerging over Established Destinations

It’s very hard to economize in a super-expensive destination. So my advice is: to save money, don’t go there. Think different. Go to a place that delivers a lot of what you love about your fantasy destination, but at real-life tabs.

Here are some ideas

How to Fight Jet Lag

Being on the ground in over 180 countries means you get the full story.

The post Catch Up With the Latest Traveling Boy News appeared first on Traveling Archive.