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Here at Amazing Journeys, we’re lucky have the best jobs in the world—and we think our good fortune is worth sharing. So, when your next journey seems like a distant dream, take a few minutes to explore our WANDERLUST blog—it’s chock full of engaging tales and helpful tips from our travels around the world. Check out the most recent entry (at the top) or search by your preferred criteria. Consider it motivation for your next embarkation.

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The Coolest Pools-some real jewels

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
Want to make a splash? With the oppressive heat that’s hit our nation these past few weeks, a little dip’l dooya right fine. Sure there are the public watering holes, and there are the fine private clubs with nice pools and resort “Club Cabanas”…even apartment and housing complexes with swimming facilities.  But if you’re a pool snob looking to make a swim more of a vacation experience than just a cool-down, have I got a few tasty treats for you.  Check out these three most amazing one-of-a-kind swimming experiences that will definitely make the biggest waves this summer.
Ultimate Luxury – This  deliciously decadent pool can be found at the Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat, in Muttrah, Oman. Pool butlers roam round a 164-foot-long infinity pool set between two colonnades of towering palms, seeming to disappear into the Gulf beyond. Catering to your every need, whether your towels require fluffing or your spritzer could use a re-spritzing, the roving butlers keep an impeccably serviced eye on proceedings.
A Totally Wired Pool- The watery wonder at the Four Seasons in Wailea, Hawaii is not about switching off on vacation. In fact, the Serenity Pool is quite the opposite. This switched-on, technologically superior swimming scene is for people who want to lounge poolside, but don’t want to miss a beat. With an underwater music system, wireless Internet access, and six cabanas with flat screen HDTVs with wireless headsets, the Serenity Pool is something of a misnomer.
Highest Pool- The highest, most precarious-looking pool of them all is the infinity pool on top of Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Resort.  The edgy SkyPark pool brims 55 stories above the city. It stretches 500 feet (3 times the length of an Olympic pool) across the span of the three towers and seems to spill waterfall-like down to the streets 200 feet below. The hotel’s incredible rooftop park is also home to restaurants, lounges, and hundreds of trees and plants. Day passes are available if you want to check out the observation deck, but if you want to take a dip in the pool it’s strictly guests only.

Important Travel Insurance Information Regarding Iceland Volcano

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
 

NOTICE OF EXPANDED COVERAGEIn addition to the benefit statement below, travelers will also be eligible for coverage with Travelex policies purchased on or after April 24, 2010 if their trip departs May 6, 2010 or thereafter and the resulting cancellation occurs after May 6, 2010.

This expanded coverage only applies to plans underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and affiliated companies and United States Fire Insurance Company.

Explanation of Benefits Update

Coverage for plans underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and affiliated companies or United States Fire Insurance Company

Ash clouds from the volcanic eruption in Iceland have caused flight delays in major European airports and beyond. While most airports have recovered from the event and are maintaining normal flight schedules, Travelex Insurance Services is pleased to provide our travelers with coverage should they experience an upcoming travel disruption.

Travelers are eligible for coverage with any future travel issues that occur due to the volcanic eruption over glacier Eyjafjallajokull. This will protect a traveler for any new eruptions to the same volcano or neighboring volcano, as well as any travel disruptions due to the current ash cloud produced by the volcano.

Travelers who purchased a Travelex policy according to these dates will be eligible for coverage:

  • On or before April 14, 2010 or
  • On or after May 5, 2010

Resulting volcanic ash clouds will be considered a covered reason due to weather and a loss due to the physical eruption of a volcano will be considered a covered reason under natural disaster. Coverage is subject to the terms and conditions of the policy and applies in the following areas:

Trip Cancellation / Trip Interruption Coverage

  • Weather that causes complete cessation of services of the common carrier for at least 24 consecutive hours.*
  • Delayed arrival due to a covered reason (defined under Trip Delay) causing 50% or more of the covered trip to be missed. (Does not apply to Travel Select for residents of NY or WA or Travel Basic).
  • Natural disaster at the site of your destination that renders the destination accommodations uninhabitable.

Trip Delay Coverage

  • Delay while en route to or from final destination for at least 5 hours or more due to a covered reason, such as delay of common carrier or due to a natural disaster.*

Extended Coverage

  • Common carrier delay causes the covered trip to be prolonged beyond the scheduled return date.

24 Hour Travel Assistance Services

  • Travelers stranded abroad can receive assistance ranging from emergency travel arrangements and money transfers to message relay services. Simply call the travel assistance phone number listed on your Confirmation of Coverage.

Travelers who purchased a Travelex policy on and between April 15, 2010 and April 23, 2010 are not eligible for coverage for known events due to the volcanic eruption and the resulting ash cloud.

For additional information please visit:

http://www.travelexinsurance.com/index.aspx?LOCATION=38-6099&go=bp

or call 800-228-9792

(Un)Spirit Airlines introduces a new word to the vocabulary of travel:

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

The word is pre-reclined.

Pre-reclined. Say it yourself.
Preeeee….Klind.

This is what the budget carrier Spirit Airlines is calling the seats on two of its new aircraft and soon-to-be more aircraft. Now, pre-clined may sound like a comfortable way to fly, but in reality these are seats that do not recline at all.

 

No recline! Zip. Zilch. Nada. Zero. Can you say “right angle“? Better yet, can you sit it? For hours at a time?

 

 

 

That’s right. You can fly with some Spirit…but you can’t fly with any reeecline.

What the heck are pre-reclined seats? Simply put, they are fixed upright seats as illustrated above. Why, you ask, would Spirit insist on no recline? One would think there’s a revenue-making opportunity to squeeze out of this, and one would be right. But, its not to charge a quarter for the opportunity to recline. Not that simple.

Pre-clined (we shall hereforth refer to it with my own branded word no-cline) seats will allow Spirit to squeeze in more seats on their planes, and thus more passengers. Plus, the airline can and save on costs because no-cline seats are cheaper to manufacture and install. They have no moving parts which means less maintenance – all of which leads to lower fares.

>>insert sarcastic remark here<<

Spirit Airlines, recently introduced fees for carry-on bags which took the concept of no frills to new heights and caused havoc with the regular joes who have any travel sense. The theme of no-cline over several hours of flying time for the reasons mentioned above is beyond ludicrous. If it wasn’t for immense discomfort, it’d be laughable. Pre-reclining seats; that’s like saying your airborne plane is pre-landed. Imagine how embarassed you’d be if you went outside with no clothes on because you “pre-dressed”. Or, how hungry you’d be when you went without dinner because you “pre-ate”. Hey Boss, you should have received the report you wanted from me; I pre-worked today!


 

I wish I could present you with some good news with regard to the airlines, but in terms of comfortability and getting back any of the small pleasures once included in with the experience, there’s nothing to report. However, and most importantly, airline travel continues to be–statistically–the safest mode of travel. So…as a means to an end, we should be grateful and appeased that Spirt and American and Delta, etc all ultimately get us where we need to be. Safely.


I, for one, am thankful for that. You should be too.