All Star Indoor Water Parks

       My family, especially my 2 boys, love indoor water parks.  During the brutal winter we just experienced here in the Midwest, their was nothing more fun than escaping for a day or two to a nearby indoor water world  filled with fun pools, and water slides for the kids; and a chance for mom and dad to relax, get out of the cold and enjoy to quality time with the family.  I thought about how much I enjoy going with my family to a good water park after I read a recent article on-line at cntraveler.com titled "The World's Coolest Indoor Water Parks".

       In the article, Conde Nast profiled 8 of the best indoor water parks in the world, including parks in Canada, China, and Germany.  Of the 5 that are located in the USA, I was thrilled to see that 2 of them were ones my family loves to go to every year and within driving distance of our home in Northwest Ohio.  The U.S. indoor water parks that Conde Nast  mentioned includes:

   Kalahari Waterpark Resort (Sandusky, Oh.).  The worlds largest indoor water park is designed in a African theme and has a roof system that allows for year-round sunbathing.

   Avalanche Bay (Boyne Falls, Mi.).  The water park is located at Boyne Mountain, one of the Midwest's most popular ski resort.  Open year-round, its really great after a fun day on the slopes.

   Massanutten Resort (McGayheysville, Va.).  Located in the Shenandoah Valley at on of the largest family resorts on the East Coast, this water park provides year-round enjoyment for the entire family, no matter what the weather.

   Great Wolf Lodge (Grand Mound, Wa.). This western Washington park is famous for wild water slides and its kiddie-pool areas.

    Sahara Sam's (West Berlin, NJ.).  Offers something for all age groups; from splash pools for the toddlers, to a surf simulator for the teens, to a swim up bar for the 21+ crowd.  This is a park that just does everything well.

       So if you can go to one of these great water parks, or there is another near your area of the country: go take your family any time of the year for a day or two for some watery excitement that everyone in your family will enjoy.

 

 

 


     

Dynamic Dining on Royal Caribbean's Quantum Class Ships

           One of the biggest objections I find from people taking their first cruise is their thoughts on dining. They don't want to be tied down to a set time, they don't want to pack "formal" wear for the ubiquitous 2 formal nights found on a 7 day cruise. Perhaps they have gone to an all inclusive resort that has multiple restaurants and have wondered why on a ship you have one included in the cruise price.
       Well the cruise industry has been slowly moving toward a dining experience that resembles more of how people dine; whether they are at home or on a land based vacation.  Disney was the first by having 3 dining rooms that you rotate through during your cruise. A start, but you are still tied to either early or late sitting fixed dinner times. Then Norwegian Cruise Line shook up the industry by introducing Freestyle Dining, no set times in the main dining room and no formal nights.

The Airlines Get Their Grades for 2013

       My wife and I had to laugh this morning as we read an AP story on the 2013 Airline Quality Ratings report.  This report, which is used as a report card for the U.S. airline industry, has been calculated since 1991 by researchers at Wichita State University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  The researchers grade the the airlines on government figures for on-time performance, mishandled bags, bumped passengers, and complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

       The top rated airline in 2013, for the second year in a row, was Virgin America. Here is a look at the top 15 airlines.

2013 Airline Quality Ratings

1.  Virgin America
2.  JetBlue
3.  Hawaiian
4.  Delta
5.  Alaska Airlines
6.  Endeavor (formerly called Pinnacle Airlines)
7.  USAir
8.  Southwest
9.  American
10. Airtran
11. Frontier
12. United
13. ExpressJet
14. SkyWest
15. American Eagle

        What had my wife and I snickering as we read the story, was the airline industries response to the overall industry performance in each of the individual categories.  After reading that the rate of lost, stolen or delayed bags rose 5% last year and the the on-time performance for the airline industry was down nearly 5% to 78.4 percent; an industry spokesperson commented that the airlines were taking steps to dramatically improve performance in 2014 .  As we reflected on our own recent experience with the airlines; waiting nearly 2 hours for the airline to find our luggage after our family cruise with Disney in January, then having a 4 hour delay for our spring break flight to Florida last week with another airline, we can only wish them well, LOL!!

Coming Soon to a Port Near You

       This is a great time to take a cruise.  Coming to a port near you, many of the cruise lines are bringing a spectacular new generation of cruise ships which will revolutionize the cruise industry.  With new innovations, fantastic new levels of service, revolutionary new activities, specialty dining, and more; these new ships will set a new standard  sure to please both the first time and experienced cruiser.  Here is a sampling of what you get to look forward too.

       With the launch of the Norwegian Breakaway last year, cruising out of New York year round, a whole new standard was set for Norwegian Cruise Line. Just entering service, and sailing year round out of Miami is the sister ship, the Norwegian Getaway.  They will will be joined by two other ships in the new Breakaway Plus class; the Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Bliss, scheduled for 2015 and 2017.

       Royal Caribbean International is set to change what can be offered on a cruise ship with the launch of the Quantum of the Seas, sailing year round from New York, in the Fall of 2014.  She will be followed by her sister, Anthem of the Sea in the Spring of 2015.  Also planned are new Oasis and Quantum-class ships to be launched in 2016.

       Carnival Cruise Line is set to take its popular "Fun Ship 2.0" program to the next level with the Carnival Vista.  This 4000 passenger ship will make its debut in 2016.

       Princess Cruise Line wants you to "Comeback New" in their new flagship, the Royal Princess.  After the successful launch last year, she will be joined by her sister, Regal Princess, when she enter service in June.  She will feature the popular "Seawalk", which towers 128 feet over the ocean.

       Holland America has announced a new ship for early 2016.  It will be the first of a new design which will redefine the word "elegant".

       This year Viking Cruises launched an unprecedented 14  for their Viking River Cruises.  In addition, Viking Cruises will make a spectacular entrance on the ocean with Viking Star; setting sail in 2015.

       If you love luxury cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises has an eagerly awaited addition to its fleet, Seven Seas Explorer, debuting in 2016.