Harry Potter

The Orlando Sentinel confirms Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is for muggles wanting to fly on a broomstick.  Without giving too much away, the ride is almost 4 minutes long traveling through various scenes of the Harry Potter movies, the good, the fun and the scary!  Check out Dewayne Bevil's article.

Travel Insurance, is it necessary?

To decide which policy is right, first identify your concerns. Are you looking for trip cancellation insurance in case you get sick or need to return home early or can’t go at all? Or are you looking to protect yourself against a trip being interrupted or delayed. 
Next step: price it out. Costs can vary from about 3 to 16 percent or more of the total trip price, depending on the traveler’s age, and the cost and length of the trip.
It’s important to understand the limitations of various policies. In situations where potential problem scenarios aren’t covered, or you’re concerned about loopholes, consider purchasing a “cancel for any reason” option, which allows a traveler to cancel a trip for any reason whatsoever, no questions asked.  Please note that such policies come at a price.
In general, strikes by workers on airlines or trains are “named perils” and, if specified in the policy, are covered, though the insurance should be purchased before a strike is announced.  
Oil spills are not typically “named perils” and are usually not covered. Insurance is a highly regulated industry, and new perils such as oil spills the size of the one in the Gulf of Mexico are typically not included in existing policies. If you want potential coverage for trips impacted by an oil spill, purchase a plan with a ‘cancel for any reason’ option.
Hurricanes are covered as weather events or natural disasters, and insurance must be bought before the storm is named. Also, your destination would have to be made uninhabitable or your flight unable to leave for a minimum of 24 hours in order for the policy to pay out. The most important thing about coverage for a hurricane is that it’s got to be unforeseeable at the time of purchase.  If you cancel your trip out of worry or fear, you will need ‘cancel for any reason’ option.
Medical expense and medical evacuation insurance covers urgent medical assistance when something unforeseen happens while you’re abroad, or when you need to be evacuated. Both are usually part of a comprehensive travel insurance policy and are included in the price.
You should also make sure you understand your existing insurance policies (medical, for instance) and what it covers when you’re traveling. Some cover medical emergencies for its members when they’re traveling abroad others provide little or no coverage outside the United States, so purchasing travel medical insurance can be an important consideration.
Finally, know whether the policy provides primary or secondary coverage. Primary coverage tends to be more expensive, but the company pays claims first. If you’ve purchased secondary coverage, you’ll have to first tap your homeowners’, personal medical or other insurance that might apply. 

Princess Holy Land Cruises

Just got this from Princess Cruises. Passengers need to keep in mind the cruise lines are concerned for your safety. They will only cancel a cruise, port or itinerary if they believe there is viable threat to the passengers and crew. Check out this statement from Princess Cruises for more information.

5 Tips for your Alaskan Cruise

1. Attend disembarkation meeting or view it on cabin tv for specific instructions regarding how luggage and disembarkations will be handled, etc.
2. Join the cruise line loyalty program. This is free and will qualify you for special discounts, ammenities, etc. if you cruise with them in the future.
3. Attend “Port Talks” for inside information and suggestions regarding each port of call.
4. Take clothing to “dress in layers” while visiting Alaska as temperatures can vary substantially from port to port.
5. Take an umbrella, sunscreen, bug spray (or Bounce Dryer Sheets), and binoculars.

DreamWorks Animation Joins the Allure of the Seas

THE DREAMWORKS EXPERIENCE BRINGS THE CHARACTERS TO THEM

Character Parades
Everyone loves a parade! But a parade with all their friends from the DreamWorks movies is certain to be unlike any parade they’ve ever seen before. Get them ready to be astonished, amazed and doubled-over with laughter as Shrek and friends participate in Royal Caribbean parades. They won’t want to miss a single moment of the antics that are sure to steal the scene.

The Madagascar Aqua Show – “Let you entertain me”
Marty, Alex, Gloria, Melman and their other favorite characters from the Dreamworks hit film Madagascar will mix and mingle with high divers, swimmers, acrobats and more. This show is certain to be a blast for the whole family.

3-D Movies
Dragons fly in their face in How To Train Your Dragon and giant robots battle all around you in Monsters vs. Aliens®. Our new onboard 3-D theaters will enhance the experience so much they’ll feel like they’re part of the action! What better way to enjoy the latest and final movie in the Shrek realm: Shrek Forever After®!

Check this out!

What city is known as Venice of the North?

Stockholm - It is made up of 14 beautiful islands connected by 50 bridges! MUST VISIT (with plenty of time) the Vasa Museum that is literally built around the Vasa a 17 century warship that sank on its maiden voyage in 1628. She was salvaged in 1961 almost completely intact! Check out a real viking ship!

Sea Princess Stars in National Geographic Channel's Hit Series “World’s Toughest Fixes"

June 3 Episode to Take Viewers Behind the Scenes During Princess Cruises Ship’s Drydock

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (June 1, 2010) – The immense job of drydocking Sea Princess will be featured in the June 3 episode of National Geographic Channel’s (NGC) top-rated show, World’s Toughest Fixes. TV viewers can go behind the scenes as host Sean Riley follows the entire process from the time the Princess Cruises ship enters the drydock to the final sea trials.

Airing on Thursday, June 3 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NGC, the show was filmed while Sea Princess was in a regularly scheduled drydock at BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair last September. The episode focuses on the enormous task of completing a multitude of drydock projects in just 15 days, with emphasis on several technical “fixes” on the bottom of the ship that could only be accessed when the ship is out of the water.

“This is a unique opportunity for audiences to really appreciate the amazing around-the-clock effort needed to keep our ships in top shape to deliver the experience our passengers expect,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “We’re excited that the National Geographic Channel was interested in featuring this rare behind-the-scenes project.”

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