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Hi Everyone,

The airlines have had some concern for a while now about the lithium batteries that charge all our electronics.  Southwest is now requiring that power banks be visible during use.   Passengers will no longer be allowed to charge things that are in the overhead bin. In the rare event a lithium battery overheats or catches fire, quick access is critical, and keeping power banks in plain sight allows for faster intervention and helps protect everyone.- Travel Weekly

A new law went into effect on May 12 that makes “junk” fees illegal.   Under the law, charges like hotel resort fees or vacation rental cleaning fees must be included in the upfront price the traveler sees before booking.  This law does not ban fees but they can no longer be charged by surprise once a  traveler has already booked a stay.-Travel and Leisure.

Hi everyone,

We just returned from an amazing trip on Uniworld Called Paris and Normandy.  We flew into Paris and were transferred to our cruise ship, the SS Joie deVivre. While cruising down the Seine we explored the ports of Honfleur, Ruen, and Versailles.   At each stop we learned about the history of each place we visited. We also had a very nice tour of amazing Paris.

In other news, the new Real ID is now in effect.  You must have a Real ID or another compliant document order to board a flight.  It looks like for the moment TSA officers are also able to simply warn travelers that they need a real ID and are directing people to further screening before boarding.   I would not rely on that lasting very long.- Travel Weekly 

Delta Airlines

Delta Air Lines is switching up the names of its fare classes and making other changes to make the booking process simpler.  the new fares will be called Delta Main (previously Main Cabin),  Delta Comfort (previously Comfort+),  Delta First (previously First Class). Long haul flights have not changed: Delta Premium Select and Delta One.

Have a great week!

Lynn

It looks like implementation of  the Real ID will actually occur on May 7.  On this date you will need a document that is Real ID compliant document.  Most often, that is a driver’s license that is real ID compliant.  If you don’t have that, you can use a valid passport.  Another option are documents with the Department of Homeland Security that include Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST.   Children under 18 do not need a REAL ID for domestic travel. However for international travel, children of any age will still need a passport.-Travel Weekly

One of the things people like to do when traveling to Egypt is take a camel ride. Close to 50 tour operators and travel companies have moved away from offering camel rides in front of the Giza pyramids after PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) said that the animals were being exploited in blistering heat without adequate access to food, rest, shade of veterinary care.  If you are looking for a camel ride in the desert, do some research to make sure the company you use is taking care of their animals. –Travel Weekly 

Royal Caribbean is again dropping its private beach destination of Labadee, Haiti from their itineraries out of “an abundance of caution.” Gang violence is continuing to spread and has placed the country in an increasingly critical position.

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Hi everyone,

After years of delays, the Transportation Security Administration has finally set the date of May 7 to begin  enforcing the Real ID.  Beginning May 7, TSA will no longer accept state issued identifications that are not Real ID compliant.  Airline passengers 18 years and older must present a REAL ID compliant identification or another acceptable ID such as a passport, or be subjected to more screening procedures and expect delays. There is also the possibility of passengers not being permitted into the security checkpoint.-Travel Weekly

If you are looking forward to going to Disney World this summer, they will open both of their waterparks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach,  at the same time which is the first time this has happened since 2019.-Travel and Leisure

One of the most important sites in Barcelona is the Sagrada Familia basilica. So many tourists are visiting this site that the city officials have designated a “selfie” area in front of the Basilica to try to reduce pedestrian congestion as well as allow Barcelona’s residents to reclaim their space from the throngs of visitors who  crowd the sidewalks and spill into the streets. The basilica is one of Antoni Gaudi’s most celebrated architectural works and draws as many as 16,000 people each day. –Travel Pulse

 May 20, 2026.  Empires of the Mediterranean. 

Join us on this spectacular cruise with Viking Cruises.  This 10 day, 9 night cruise will cruise the Adriatic and Aegean taking in all the riches of this fabled region.  On an exploration bookended by Venice and Athens, discover the ancient ruins of Olympia, and the Acropolis. Explore the medieval warrens of Zadar, Dubrovnik, and Kotor. Delight in the beauty of Corfu and for the first time, Viking will take us to Koper for an in-depth exploration of picturesque Slovenia.   Deposit now.  Viking sells out early.

September, 2026.  Sicily and Southern Italy.  Not quite ready for booking. Call to be put on an interest list.

Fall, 2026.  Colors of New England. Not quite ready for booking. Call to be put on an interest list.

We will not publish a blog next week on Easter Sunday.  We’ll be back on the 27th.

Hi everyone,

If you are thinking about booking a tour with Collette, they are having a spring sale now until the end of April which gives customers 40% off economy air and 25% off premium air for travel now through December 31.  Collette Vacations is my go-to tour company.

Delta Air Lines announced its fleet wide  wi-fi has expanded to include flights to Europe, Israel, and West Africa starting early this month. These rollouts are in addition to the entire domestic fleet.  Flights to South America will add wifi this summer.

If you love new challenges, the Eiffel Tower has added a new attraction: a 40 meter-long suspension bridge 60 meters above ground.  The tower welcomed 6.3 million visitors last year and now tourists have the option to walk between the pillars-AP   I will be in Paris with a group  this year so we’ll see what that looks like.

 May 20, 2026.  Empires of the Mediterranean. 

Join us on this spectacular cruise with Viking Cruises.  This 10 day, 9 night cruise will cruise the Adriatic and Aegean taking in all the riches of this fabled region.  On an exploration bookended by Venice and Athens, discover the ancient ruins of Olympia, and the Acropolis. Explore the medieval warrens of Zadar, Dubrovnik, and Kotor. Delight in the beauty of Corfu and for the first time, Viking will take us to Koper for an in-depth exploration of picturesque Slovenia.   Deposit now.  Viking sells out early.

September, 2026.  Sicily and Southern Italy.  Not quite ready for booking. Call to be put on an interest list.

Fall, 2026.  Colors of New England. Not quite ready for booking. Call to be put on an interest list.

Hi Everyone,

We had a major technical issue last week and could not get the blog published.  I hope we are back on track.

The summer travel season is underway. If your plans include Alaska  you may want to check out Alaska Air’s promotion that provides Clear Plus Membership to its Mileage Plan members. Clear allows you to get through security very quickly.  It’s fairly easy to join Alaska Air’s Mileage Plan which will allow you to take advantage of Clear Plus. –Travel Weekly

Marriott is expanding its footprint in Costa Rica.  They will convert the Dreams Las Mareas Resort into a JW Marriott all-inclusive resort  The property is scheduled to begin the conversion in July and join the Marriott Convoy portfolio by next spring.-Travel Weekly

A new thermal vent spewing steam in the air at Yellowstone National Park is gaining attention  mostly because it is visible from the road. When Yellowstone’s roads open to car traffic in April, tourists will be able to view the new steam column from a pullout as long as the vent remains active.   It is located in an area just north of the Norris Geyser Basin.-CNN Travel

 May 20, 2026.  Empires of the Mediterranean. 

Join us on this spectacular cruise with Viking Cruises.  This 10 day, 9 night cruise will cruise the Adriatic and Aegean taking in all the riches of this fabled region.  On an exploration bookended by Venice and Athens, discover the ancient ruins of Olympia, and the Acropolis. Explore the medieval warrens of Zadar, Dubrovnik, and Kotor. Delight in the beauty of Corfu and for the first time, Viking will take us to Koper for an in-depth exploration of picturesque Slovenia.   Deposit now.  Call for vacancy info.

September, 2026.  Sicily and Southern Italy.  Not quite ready for booking. Call to be put on an interest list.

Fall, 2026.  Colors of New England. Not quite ready for booking. Call to be put on an interest list.

Hi Everyone,

The National Park Service set a record for visitation in 2024.  There were almost 331.9 million recreation vistas logged at all of its 433 units. That includes famous national parks like Yellowstone but also places such as parkways, battlefields, national seashores, memorials, and historic sites.

Here are the most visited National Parks for 2024:

1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (12.19 million
2. Zion National Park  (4.94 million )
3. Grand Canyon National Park ((4.91Million)
4. Yellowstone National Park (4.74 million)
5. Rocky Mountain National Park (4.15 million)
6. Yosemite National Park (4.12 million)
7. Acadia National Park (3.96 million)
8. Olympic National Park (3.71million)
9. Grand Teton National Park (3.62 million)
10. Glacier National Park (3.2 million). -adapted from CNN 

When you are getting ready to take a long flight you may want to consider including  compression socks when you pack  your carry on bag.   Blood clots are no joke and when you are sitting for long periods of time, the blood can become stagnant and blood clots can form. I am not a doctor but you may want to ask your doctor about these socks.

Before going on that European trip you’ve been looking forward to for a long time, make sure that you do your research to see if your destination requires an ETIAS. it is a visa-like form that you may need in addition to your passport.  Many countries in Europe will begin requiring them sometime this year.  London has already started.  It is very easy to Google  ETIAS and the documents  can be applied for online.

 May 20, 2026.  Empires of the Mediterranean. 

Join us on this spectacular cruise with Viking Cruises.  This 10 day, 9 night cruise will cruise the Adriatic and Aegean taking in all the riches of this fabled region.  On an exploration bookended by Venice and Athens, discover the ancient ruins of Olympia, and the Acropolis. Explore the medieval warrens of Zadar, Dubrovnik, and Kotor. Delight in the beauty of Corfu and for the first time, Viking will take us to Koper for an in-depth exploration of picturesque Slovenia.   Deposit now.  Viking sells out early.

September, 2026.  Sicily and Southern Italy.  Not quite ready for booking. Call to be put on an interest list.

Fall, 2026.  Colors of New England. Not quite ready for booking. Call to be put on an interest list.

Hi Everyone, Several large tour companies are predicting another big summer for travel to Europe.  The last couple of  years Europe has seen record numbers of tourists and it looks like this year won’t be any different.   Travel companies are noticing that, based on  travel already booked for the summer, many  travelers are gravitating to some of the more northern European countries hoping to avoid a bit of the heat that Europe has experienced  in the last few years.   Virtuoso said summer bookings to Scandinavia, Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden are up 263% year over year.-adapted from TravelWeekly.   

In an effort to combat the challenges of overtourism, the Italian city of Florence has issued a mandate requiring removal of self check-in boxes from vacation rental properties by February 25. These boxes allowed guests to check in independently but has drawn criticism for aesthetic and security concerns.-Travel Pulse

With two major US airlines planning to resume service to Israel this spring, tour operators are beginning to arrange their return to the country. United and Delta are planning to resume flights to TelAviv from the New York area in the coming weeks.            -TravelWeekly

 May 20, 2026.  Empires of the Mediterranean. 

Join us on this spectacular cruise with Viking Cruises.  This 10 day, 9 night cruise will cruise the Adriatic and Aegean taking in all the riches of this fabled region.  On an exploration bookended by Venice and Athens, discover the ancient ruins of Olympia, and the Acropolis. Explore the medieval warrens of Zadar, Dubrovnik, and Kotor. Delight in the beauty of Corfu and for the first time, Viking will take us to Koper for an in-depth exploration of picturesque Slovenia.   Deposit now.  Viking sells out early.

September, 2026.  Sicily and Southern Italy.  Not quite ready for booking. Call to be put on an interest list.

Fall, 2026.  Colors of New England. Not quite ready for booking. Call to be put on an interest list.

Hi Everyone,

In last week’s blog  I mentioned that we will most likely all have to deal with ETIAS and ETA Applications in order to travel to Europe.  One of my very astute readers told me that even though people under 18 or over 70 may be exempt, they will still need to go through the application process.  Thank you, my friend.

Have you ever wondered if your passport number actually signifies anything, like where you live or your age? the answer is no. In the United States, passport numbers are not assigned based on any particular markers.  Passport application locator numbers  are different. The numbers assigned to you when you apply for or renew a passport can be used for checking the status of your application.  American passports were previously nine digits, but since the State Department began issuing the Next Generation Passport in 2021, passport numbers are alphanumeric codes that begin with a single letter followed by  8 numbers. Every individual passport book has a unique number so if you’re renewing your passport, your new book will have a different number than your old one.-Travel and Leisure, 8/2024.

Delta. Air lines is limiting access to its airport lounges, and putting new restrictions in place this month for travelers who use a credit card membership to access the lounges.  The new rules went into effect on February 1 and and limit the number of times travelers can enter a lounge depending on the type of credit card they have. The changes are an extension of Delta’s loyalty program overhaul and an effort to address crowding at Sky Club lounges.

Just an FYI: The Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) was ranked highest overall amongst “mega” airports for the second year in a row. The airport provides air travel for 36.7 million travelers per year and operates over 1,000 daily flights. (J.D. Power defines a mega airport as one with 33 million or more passengers annually.)

Have a great week!

Lynn

 May 20, 2026.  Empires of the Mediterranean. 

Join us on this spectacular cruise with Viking Cruises.  This 10 day, 9 night cruise will cruise the Adriatic and Aegean taking in all the riches of this fabled region.  On an exploration bookended by Venice and Athens, discover the ancient ruins of Olympia, and the Acropolis. Explore the medieval warrens of Zadar, Dubrovnik, and Kotor. Delight in the beauty of Corfu and for the first time, Viking will take us to Koper for an in-depth exploration of picturesque Slovenia.   Deposit now.  Viking sells out early.

September, 2026.  Sicily and Southern Italy.  Not quite ready for booking. Call to be put on an interest list.

Fall, 2026.  Colors of New England. Not quite ready for booking. Call to be put on an interest list.