By Terry Gardner | Special to Tribune Newspapers
If
you hate paying retail hotel rates but need to know whether your lodging
will be pet-friendly or have two beds, Priceline’s new Express Deals
may be for you.
“We know some travelers are traveling
with kids and need two beds or a pool or a gym, so we developed Express
Deals over the last six months to help those travelers,” said
Christopher L. Soder, CEO of Priceline North America.
Unlike
Name Your Own Price deals where bidders only know a hotel’s star level
and neighborhood in advance, Express Deals reveal hotel amenities, star
level, neighborhood and guest ratings up front. Instead of bidding,
customers choose the deal they want, pay for it, and then Priceline reveals the hotel’s identity.
Read more at: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-06-25/travel/ct-taking-off-priceline-express-deals-for-hotels-20120625_1_hotel-names-rates-priceline-negotiator
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Royal Caribbean promises faster Internet at sea
This item was written by Johanna Jainchill, who covers the travel industry for Travel Weekly. Jainchill is serving as Guest Editor of The Cruise Log while USA TODAY Cruise Editor Gene Sloan is away.
By Michel Verdure
Royal Caribbean is hoping to remedy that with a recent agreement the cruise line made with O3b Networks that the line says will bring Internet at sea, "as if connected to fiber at home or in the office."
By summer 2013 the company's 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, will offer passengers "high-speed satellite-delivered broadband service" thanks to a multiyear, multimillion dollar agreement Royal made with O3b, a global satellite service provider.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Five things you'll love about the new Carnival Breeze
By Gene Sloan, USA TODAY
ABOARD THE CARNIVAL BREEZE -- Longtime Carnival fans will notice a new, contemporary look on the line's latest vessel, the Carnival Breeze. But the newest "Fun Ship" still is all about fun.
Unveiled this month in the Mediterranean, the 3,690-passenger Breeze is chock full of amusements that in some cases break new ground for the line, including a 3-D theater with moving seats and special effects. Here, five things to love about the ship (for a more expanded view of its many features, look for a Cruise Log photo tour coming next week):
1. WaterWorks. You don't have to be a child to appreciate the appeal of this sprawling water play area -- one of the largest at sea. Looming above the ship's main pool deck, WaterWorks offers two water slides that rival anything found at a land-based resort: The scream-a-minute, 312-foot-long Twister and the towering, funnel-style DrainPipe.
2. SportSquare. As if WaterWorks wasn't enough deck-top fun for one cruise vacation, Carnival has devoted another generous chunk of the ship's exterior space to this smorgasboard of gee-whiz amusements.
3. Serenity. Is your idea of a relaxing day in the sun one where children are nowhere to be seen? Don't worry: Carnival has thought of you, too. As on the line's last two new ships, the Breeze is home to an adults-only, deck-top hideaway called Serenity that is as quiet as nearby WaterWorks is loud.
4. Thrill Theater. Tucked onto Deck 4 near the Breeze's teen club, this new-for-Carnival, 24-seat venue offers a high-tech escape for adults as well as kids. Combining 3-D projection technology with motion simulation, it's home to short productions under 30 minutes.
5. Cucina del Capitano. The second Italian eatery on a Carnival ship (the first rolled out last year on the Carnival Magic) is a lively, family-style affair that pays homage to the company's historical connections with Italy.
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