TravelCommentator

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Cruise Lines

Coral Princess Cruises rebrands

Cairns-based Coral Princess Cruises will rebrand as Coral Expeditions, reports Travel Weekly. Less confusion with cruise ship CORAL PRINCESS owned by Princess Cruises. That will certainly make them happy! Here’s their new logo… Cheers

* Review / Transport

Aegean Airlines A3 651/A3 650

Excellent Service on Europe’s Best Regional Airline Although they were only short flights Rome-Athens and Athens-Rome, they were enough to know I flew with a great little airline. Well, little in the sense of the number of aircraft and destinations they fly to. They can’t be compared to Turkish Airlines, their closest neighbour and Star Alliance partner, but they do punch above their weight when it comes to quality and service. That’s why they’ve been voted the Best Regional Airline in Europe by Skytrax for many years. Greek hospitality is well known and I couldn’t wait to try out Aegean since also I had gained Star Alliance Gold through them a year or so earlier. So when the chance came I decided to book...

* Review / Accommodation

Hotel Grand Pacific Singapore

Great Location for Stopover First time at this central hotel in Singapore. Was only for a transit stopover during the day. The hotel was organised through Singapore Airlines. Only the room was included, no meals. We arrived around 7:30am and departed approximately at 8pm. The free transfers were part of the stopover. There was two of us travelling so we got two separate beds in a twin share. The room faced the rear of the building overlooking the Hotel Royal at Queens. The bed was very comfortable and I got myself some good rest. The bathroom wasn’t the flashiest I’ve seen, but it was clean and good enough to get a refresh. My friend that was travelling with me had the opportunity of eating...

* Review / Accommodation

Hotel Corona Rome

Better second time round This was my second stay at Hotel Corona, staying for nine nights in early June. My previous visit was in November 2014. I stayed in room 412 a standard single. These rooms are small but have a good sized bathroom. I can say my stay this time was better than last. For one thing I got to know more of the staff and got to enjoy their company. Also from what I saw they do give their utmost best to help their guests. While I was in reception many times sitting on the couch or the armchairs I never heard a bad word. So I am not sure why some guests say the staff were rude or had a bad...

Airports

Fire closes Rome’s main airport

Rome’s Fiumicino Airport has been closed to the public after a fire broke out overnight in its main terminal for international flights, reports Travel Weekly. Adding to what has been reported. The fire actually started at 4 minutes past midnight local time. The cause was most probably an electrical fault. The fire destroyed and damaged around forty shops that run between Passport Control and Gates G & H in Terminal 3 Departures. An area of about 1000sqm was affected one way or another by fire or smoke. Since the fire Terminal 3 has been getting back to some kind of normality. An access point to embarkation Gates G & H was opened in the early hours of Saturday (9 May). At 17:00 of the...

Cruising / Opinion / Tips & Advice

Stress free family holiday? Go cruising!

There was a time when cruising was synonymous with elderly retired couples – But that’s not the case any more, says Travel Weekly. Cruising is a great way to have a family holiday. The unpacking once and getting down to relaxation is one of the best reasons for going on a cruise. Besides the food, entertainment and all the amenities of a luxury hotel, you get to see different ports and countries while you are at it. If you must fly long-haul to get to your cruise port I would suggest not taking toddlers. I don’t see the value of taking kids at that age. They won’t remember anything. Kindergarten age, 4-5 years up is fine. My choice of cruise line? Disney Cruises. They...

Aircraft / Opinion

Airbus touts more seats in superjumbo

The Airbus A380 is such a great jetliner, but it could soon to be ruined by the greedy beancounters. Airbus is thinking about increasing the maximum passenger load. I surely hope no one takes up this option. Let’s also not forget safety. With more passengers onboard it will be harder for them to evacuate within the 90 second time period recommended by safety authorities. Any longer, especially during a fire, it will become harder for anyone to escape without injuries. Our response as passengers should be to boycott any airline advocating the 3-5-3 configuration! In this case I’ve got my sights squarely aimed at Emirates who are the biggest users of the plane. Hope they are listening. Update: So far no airline has taken...

Air Travel / Airports / Cities & Towns / Countries / Ports

Watch your homonyms and homophones when travelling

Ended up in the wrong town, city or country? Did you check the name and spelling of the place where you were suppose to go to? Did you board the wrong flight? Well this can easily happen if you don’t research your travels as you should and check (possibly double check) your airticket/boarding pass. There have been many cases of travellers ending up at the wrong destination because placenames are either identical or sound the same but spelt differently. Sometimes at no fault of their own. Airlines and travel agents have also been known to make the mistake. In one case a couple ended up on the wrong continent over confusing airport codes. In other mix-ups people book same sounding place names like Guyana...

Opinion / Technology

Making tavel easier with smartphone apps, but do they?

There are some apps that are very useful while travelling and make the experience less of a worry and others that are just a waste of space. Traveller.com.au in a recent article mentioned ten apps that should make that easier. Here’s the list: Of all these apps the one that stands out the most is TripIt, which is free. There is also a paid version, TripIt Pro, but the free version has many of the bells and whistles that’s required to keep your travel plans in order. I’ve used TripIt and it’s great, but I’ve come to like another very similar app, TripCase (from Sabre), which is totally free and does not require a pro version. If you travel a lot and in particular...

Air Travel / Opinion

Are aircraft cabins clean?

Michael Gebicki is correct in saying it’s only a quick tidy-up when there’s a short turnaround. The best cleaning is done during the longer layovers in the airlines’ respective hubs. So yes, do take your sanitiser wipes with you into the cabin. You’ll need them sooner or later for the trays, armrests, lavatory door handles, etc. As for the air breathed. I wouldn’t worry too much. There’s no more germs in the air than what you’ll find in any other crowded space. The pilots also breathe the same air as the passengers so it can’t be all that bad! What is noticeable though is the dryness of the air. This cannot be avoided as condensation from humidity can corrode the airframe. Newer planes such...

Airports / Opinion

Security at Australian airports, sensible or neurotic?

Show of force and heavy handed security is not required at airports. Perhaps even paranoid…Anyhow, governments know security can be done covertly, but they prefer to be seen doing something and the best way is to show who’s boss. That’s why you get screened, scanned, x-rayed, proded and body searched. Only foolish terrorists will get caught, just like drug mules and users who think they can import illegal substances through immigration and customs. Terrorists don’t need to board planes to cause mayhem. They can do this anywhere on airport property and not pass any security checks at all. That’s the worrying thing. They will come up with new ways of causing death and destruction. Real security should start way before anyone gets near an...

Tips & Advice

Purchasing Foreign Currency

If you intend to take cash with you on your next trip and want the best rates, don’t go purchase your foreign currency from banks, Travelex or AusPost. They all take a commission. Instead go to the foreign exchange dealers. Where you’ll get a better deal on the rate minus the commission. In Adelaide we have several very competitive exchanges: UAE Exchange (now Unimoni)*, FX Foreign Xchange, Worldex and First Eastern FX. They can all be very flexible. So check a few rates and go and negotiate. Personally I’ve dealt with three of these but I know First Eastern FX is also highly recommended (contributor Peter Katsambis vouches for this). My first preference to buy and exchange foreign currency is FX Foreign Xchange. Call...

Airlines / Loyalty / Opinion

Emirates tattoo scores passenger upgrades

A badly dressed teacher has earned himself some perks thanks to the airline’s logo tattooed on one of his arms…Emirates Passenger Scores Free Upgrades If this guy wasn’t a true frequent flyer with status I doubt anyone high up in the airline would’ve given him upgrades. Anyhow, don’t you all go out and do the same as there’s no guarantee you’ll get anything but a few thumbs up from check-in and the FAs. Besides you may end up being stuck with something you may regret later or if you decide to tattoo all your favourite airlines down your arm!! So stick with earning frequent flyer points, status by being loyal, and of course, dressing well! Cheers

* Review / Accommodation

Hotel Corona Rome

An adequate hotel without the fanciness Hotel Corona is located between 5-10 minutes walk from Termini and about the same from Piazza Repubblica metro station, in an area full of good restaurants and close to Via Nazionale and shopping. A street market is held on weekdays just outside the hotel at the bottom of Via Napoli. If groceries are required (including wine/spirits) there’s a small Carrefour supermarket at the top of the street on the corner of Via del Viminale. My stay involved 7 days in a single room. It was small, but sufficient for my needs. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom spacious and very clean. The room was cleaned and tidied daily and the airconditioning worked. The room had soundproofing issues...