Category: Speciality Travel
Brobdingnagian cruise ship
By Paul Johnson on Feb 17, 2006 in Asia, Cruises & Boat Travel, Kyrgyzstan, Regions, Speciality Travel
Mega Crown International Cruise Lines, LLP have surprised the cruise industry with the launch of the first of a new fleet of Extreme-Ultra-Mega cruise ships. Much to the amazement of others, their new ship, called Brobdingnagian, has been built in secret over the past six years at the Yatzmar Shipyards hidden deep within Kyrgyzstan. The 
SkiHaus
By Paul Johnson on Feb 16, 2006 in Accommodation, Adventure Travel, Europe, Regions, Speciality Travel, Switzerland, Western Europe
Ever wished you could have your own house on a mountain? Well, with the SkiHaus from Horden Cherry Lee Architects, you can do just that. This lightweight, all-aluminium structure weighs only 315kg and can be lifted into position by helicopter. Despite its relatively compact size, it can sleep 4 people (in bunk beds). 
Qatar Airways notches up another award
Qatar Airways has picked up yet another award: the Inflight Service Consistency Excellence Award from Skytrax, the world’s leading air transport research organisation. Qatar Airways is growing at great speed and is one of only four airlines in the world ranked Five Star for service and excellence. The airline’s cabin crew have been voted the
Prada Beauty and Ritz-Carlton partnership
Prada Beauty, a leader in scientifically advanced skin care, and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, a name synonymous with luxury and award-winning service, have joined forces to create a unique spa experience. Beginning last month, Prada Beauty treatments are featured exclusively in all full-service Ritz-Carlton Spas in North America. Prada Beauty’s Special Care products are the
Bellagio birthday bash
By Paul Johnson on Feb 16, 2006 in Accommodation, Celebrities, Hotels, Leisure Travel, Nevada, North America, Regions, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, USA
Robbie Williams allegedly splashed out £50,000 on a lavish birthday bash at Las Vegas’s Bellagio last week. The British pop star flew friends to the gambling capital of the world for a lavish celebration. He’ll be looking forward to the summer, too… the football (read soccer, if you’re from the US) mad Williams has organised 
Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner
By Paul Johnson on Feb 16, 2006 in Alaska, Cruises & Boat Travel, North America, Regions, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, USA, Websites
Yesterday, I mentioned Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas website, and today I’ve stumbled upon another great site of their’s. The Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner, put together by IQ Interactive, presents you with a wallet-like interface from which you can “pull out” individual items (eg. a postcard from Alaska) or “unzip” a compartment to access 
Carnival Freedom prepares for the Mediterranean
By Paul Johnson on Feb 15, 2006 in Cruises & Boat Travel, Europe, Greece, Middle East, Regions, Speciality Travel, Turkey, Western Europe
Carnival Cruise Lines’ newest ship, Carnival Freedom, will debut the line’s first-ever itinerary to the Greek Isles and Turkey as well as spectacular Mediterranean voyages. The luxury 110,000-ton vessel will commence its first season in March 2007 with a series of seven 12-day Mediterranean and Greek Isles cruises. Carnival Freedom will also sail a total 
Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas website
By Paul Johnson on Feb 15, 2006 in Cruises & Boat Travel, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, Websites
Royal Caribbean have come up with a truly great website for their 3,600-passenger Freedom of the Seas vessel. It gives you a fascinating insight, with sections devoted to The Centrum, The Rockwall, Presidential Family Suite, The Flowrider, H2O Zone, and much, much more. The ship will be the world’s largest cruise vessel when it makes 
What's next for Steve Fossett?
Having broken the record for the world’s longest non-stop flight in aviation history last week, what’s next for Steve Fossett? He already has a host of achievements, not only in flying aircraft, but also in hot air ballooning and sailing, so I guess it won’t stop here. When asked what he wanted to do
Spa du Sureau, Oakhurst CA
By Paul Johnson on Feb 15, 2006 in Accommodation, California, Hotels, North America, Regions, Spas & Pampering, Speciality Travel, USA
The new Spa du Sureau in Oakhurst opened a few months ago at Erna’s Elderberry House in Oakhurst. The spa is equipped with a Hydrostorm shower system (only the third of its kind in the US), as well as all the kinds of facilities you might expect. Elderberries are very much in favour here – 
Four Seasons Silicon Valley Hotel
By Paul Johnson on Feb 14, 2006 in Accommodation, Business Travel, California, Hotels, North America, Regions, Speciality Travel, USA
The Four Seasons Silicon Valley Hotel began welcoming its first guests this month. Located in up and coming East Palo Alto, it is located approximately 5 minutes from Stanford University and close to a number of Silicon Valley technology companies such as Sun Microsystems, making it a likely choice for many business travellers. This 
Aeroscraft: a flying luxury hotel
By Paul Johnson on Feb 14, 2006 in Accommodation, Air Travel, California, Hotels, North America, Regions, Speciality Travel, USA
This might seem a pipe-dream at the moment, but imagine an aircraft that’s two football fields long. A kind of flying Queen Mary 2, if you like, where you can leisurely roam around as you fly to some far-flung destination. This perhaps far-fetched notion is the brainchild of Igor Pasternak, whose privately-funded California firm, Worldwide 
New 148-foot expedition boat from Timmerman Yachts
By Paul Johnson on Feb 13, 2006 in Antarctic, Arctic, Cruises & Boat Travel, Polar Regions, Regions, Speciality Travel, Worldwide
Timmerman Yachts has unveiled its plans to build a new luxury 148-yacht capable of navigating the seas of the Arctic and Antarctic. This ocean-going vessel is the flag carrier of the Timmerman collection. Its range allows it not only to cross the Atlantic Ocean but also to sail around the world with only five refueling Norwegian Cruise Line leads the way in on-board dining
It used to be the case on cruise ships that strangers were thrown together randomly at dinner times in a huge dining room and were expected to make do with one another’s company. This has now changed – markedly. Not only is there flexibility in dining times, but the variety of quality of dining is
NEC Versa E3100 laptop
By Paul Johnson on Feb 13, 2006 in Accessories, Business Travel, Gadgets, Speciality Travel, Travel Equipment
The new NEC Versa E3100 is a very sleek laptop. In fact, it’s apparently the lightest 14″ widescreen unit in its class. It comes with a variety of specifications: your choice of Pentium M processor, 256MB RAM standard (upgradeable to 2GB), and a 40, 60 or 80 GB hard drive. Some models also include an 
