Destinations
Inside Lalish, the Heart of the Yazidi Faith
Lalish and its temples are about 4,000 years old. Its main temple was built by ancient Sumerian and other early Mesopotamian civilisations. In 1162 the temple became the tomb for Sheikh Adi Ibn Musafir, considered by Yazidis to be a “peacock angel”…
— The Independent
Why You Should Visit Ann Arbor, Michigan
A-squared, as locals call it, is a city on the cusp, like a student ready to graduate from classroom to cubicle. The mellow cousin to bigger, burlier Detroit — 50 miles to the east — Ann Arbor is the birthplace of Students for a Democratic Society and home of the annual Hash Bash…
— The Washington Post
14 Things you Didn't Know About Luxembourg, Europe's Unhappiest Country
Today will see the Duchess of Cambridge head to Luxembourg on her second official solo visit to an overseas country on behalf of the British government. What is she doing and why is she going? Good questions both – but a more pertinent query might be one which asks just what Kate can expect to encounter in this little shard of Europe…
— Telegraph (London)
Tours and Activities
Kayak fishing: Big Thrills on a Small Budget
Kayaks (and canoes) aren’t new, of course. They have been used by fishermen and hunters for thousands of years and were the original water vehicles for indigenous peoples across much of the globe. It’s easy to see why. Few tools match the simplicity and function of a kayak…
— USA Today
For Visitors to Senegal’s Lac Rose, a Closer Look at the Colorful Lake’s Salt Harvest
I was at Lac Rose (also called Lake Retba) on a late-morning pit stop between the Senegalese capital of Dakar — about an hour away by car — and the northern city of Saint-Louis. I had read about the Pepto-Bismol-colored lake, its hue caused by its high salt content and an algae that produces a red pigment, and I figured it would be a great place to take a break…
— The Washington Post
Top 10 Kansas City Favorites
Today, I’m sharing a handful of my favorites. These are the places I take visiting friends and family, recommend to out-of-town guests and co-workers, and will keep returning to as long as I live in this wonderful city…
— The Huffington Post
Cruise
How Many Cruise Ships Does Carnival Cruise Line Have in Their Fleet?
Carnival Cruise Line is the largest cruise line in the world right now in terms of the number of cruise ships that they have in their fleet. Their parent company (Carnival Corp.) owns 9 other cruise lines including some of the more popular ones like Princess Cruises and Holland America Line…
— CruiseFever
AmaWaterways to Launch World's Largest River Cruise Ship in 2019
Following the Wednesday christening of its newest ship, AmaKristina, AmaWaterways has revealed it will launch a new Danube-based river vessel in 2019 that is set to be the largest in the world. To be named AmaMagna, the behemoth will have the same length, height and draft as the line's other vessels, but at 22 meters it will be twice as wide, allowing for larger cabins…
— CruiseCritic.com
Transportation
BA Takes on Its Low-Cost Rivals with Free Flights for Children
British Airways is offering free tickets for children on six routes from Heathrow this summer. Up to two children under the age of 12 can fly for free with each fare-paying adult to five British destinations (Belfast, Edinburgh, Inverness, Leeds/Bradford and Newcastle), as well as Billund in Denmark, in a discount designed to fill planes on routes that become less crowded over the summer months…
— Telegraph (London)
The Cheapest Day To Buy An International Plane Ticket, Mapped By Destination
Pinpointing when to buy your plane ticket can be a major headache. Thankfully, this map lays the rules out brilliantly. Analysts at CheapAir.com reviewed more than 351 million individual airfares sold on more than a million international routes in 2016…
— The Huffington Post
Boeing Halts Test Flights of New 737 Over Engine Issue
Boeing is suspending test flights of a new airliner because of a possible problem in the manufacturing of a key engine part. The company said Wednesday that it still plans to deliver the first Boeing 737 Max later this month, and production will…
— NBC News
Lodging
Disney Uses Shanghai Resort to Pump Up 'Pirates of Caribbean' Opening
Walt Disney Co.’s latest “Pirates of the Caribbean” picture could gross more in China than in the U.S. as the world’s largest entertainment company capitalizes on the success of its new Chinese resort with a world premiere in Shanghai on Thursday. The opening of Disney’s $5.5 billion Shanghai resort last year has earned the company goodwill in the world’s No. 2 movie market…
— Bloomberg
Trump's Doral Resort Pushing for Property Tax Break
Dealing with political dramas like firing the FBI director didn’t keep President Donald Trump from trying to trim his South Florida property tax bills. While Trump on Thursday was at the White House fending off criticism for ousting James Comey, an attorney for Trump National Doral was in Miami arguing to lower the golf resort’s nearly $1.8 million 2016 tax bill…
— Sun Sentinel
Other and Odd
Can I Bring a Viking Helmet on the Plane? AskTSA is Here to Help.
The tweet initially stumped Mary Ham. A traveler wanted to know if she could stow a spray-tan extender that resembled an alien blaster in her carry-on bag. The AskTSA specialist rifled through her mental file cabinet filled with agency rules and regulations, searching for an answer…
— The Washington Post
Traveling Overseas? Here's How to Avoid Getting Sick
Cholera, Hepatitis A, and typhoid are just some of the water-borne illnesses affecting parts of underdeveloped countries, according to clinical pharmacist Elizabeth Bunk, who administers vaccines and medications to travelers at Duquesne University…
— Fox Travel News
Today in History
Florence Nightingale is Born
The pioneer of modern nursing was born on this day in 1820. Florence Nightingale was born into privileged English society. Early in her life she felt called into the profession of nursing, scandalizing her family…
— Travel Research Online
Mike's Morning Missives
Self-Development is Important
 In a recent phone call with a college classmate of mine, we found ourselves reminiscing on our experiences. What we were really doing was reminding ourselves how old we are becoming as the days fly by without permission.
It should come as no surprise that some people surrender to the years, while others keep pressing on with little acknowledgment of the number of candles on their last birthday cake. One 93 year-old friend of his was thinking about having a set of golf clubs custom-made for him while another “fossil” in training was out shopping for a new set of wheels. (Not for his…
— Travel Research Online
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Soundings
Non-Refundable Deposits are Here to Stay
by Susan Schaefer
Friday May 12, 2017
Often one cruis e line will test a new idea and, if it flies, other cruise lines will follow suite in short order. Disney Cruise Line spearheaded family friendly cruising. Now you can find Nickelodeon and Universal partnered with other cruise lines, water splash areas, water slides to die for, and family-friendly staterooms on other ships. Norwegian Cruise Line introduced Freestyle Dining, and now everyone has some form of open dining program. Someone raises their gratuity amounts? Others follow suit within months.
We really should not be surprised by Royal Caribbean’s announcement this week about rolling out non-refundable deposits. Carnival Cruise Line has had something similar since they introduced their Early Saver Rate in 2009. What may be surprising is that it took 8 years before another…
— Travel Research Online
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TRO and The Travel Institute Scholarship Program
TRO believes ongoing training is important to the health of the travel professional. Therefore, we have partnered with The Travel Institute to assist travel agents to earn their Certified Travel Associate designation. TRO will be awarding a $100 scholarship to at least one attendee of TRO webinars each webinar. If you want to be considered for the scholarship you need only to register here:
http://www.thetravelinstitute.com/troscholarship/
and then attend TRO’s webinars. Winners will be selected and notified immediately after each webinar!
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Upcoming Training Opportunities
Find the Ungoogleable!
Thursday, May 25, 2017 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
Find the Ungoogleable!
Register Now ➠
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