Tag Archives: Travel

Hefty Fines in the Wind

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Mother Nature battered the northeast a week ago and made travel a nightmare.

For passengers on 6 Jet Blue flights and  1 American Airlines plane, the travel nightmare was magnified when the planes they were on were diverted to Hartford, Connecticut.

Storm At Airport

The planes ran out of snacks and bottled water and the toilets backed up long before they were in a position to deplane the passengers. One the news a tape was played of a Jet Blue Pilot begging for help to get his passengers off the plane and into the terminal. It was approximately 7 hours before the nightmare on the planes came to a close but even then the passengers were still stranded in the terminal.

Under the so-called tarmac delay rules put in place last year, both airlines, could be slapped with a fine of $27,000 per passenger, MarketWatch reported, a whopping $18,900,000 for JetBlue alone.

As I watched the news story I was horrified for the passengers. They mentioned a diabetic passenger in distress and a wheel chair bound passenger along with passengers with babies and small children.

But once the dust settled and I tried to look at the situation objectively I think there are some mitigating factors. First and foremost was the severity of the storm, a record-breaking early season storm. This brutal weather forced the flights to be diverted to  Bradley International which was experiencing weather related issues of their own such as intermittent power outages which  caused delays in deplaning.

These planes were not the only planes diverted. In a report I saw over 17 planes were diverted to Bradley pushing it over its capacity to handle the additional traffic along with planes that were scheduled to land there anyway.

Although the Passenger Bill of Rights  will fine the airlines, it sounds to me as if some of the blame in this case falls on the airport and a large part on Mother Nature. The pilots managed to land their planes safely in adverse conditions but then they were at the mercy of the airport  and it sounds like the airport let them down, probably through no fault of their own after… all there was a blizzard going on.

Maybe better plans can be put in place to handle such circumstanes. After all, this is New England and storms do happen. We are not even into “winter’ yet so let’s hope this isn’t a taste of things to come.

http://www.ctnow.com/news/hc-jet-blue-transcripts-1101-20111031,0,7874559.story

The House of Seven Gables

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What a nice day we are having in Salem but the afternoon is passing quickly. Following our lunch at Murphy’s we explored the waterfront with the replica Friendship,

 admired the Custom House with the fierce Eagle emblem glittering in gold.

 But there was one last place that we just had to check out before we turned our eyes back south and headed home. That was the House of Seven Gables.

We didn’t have time for the tour and having just finished one  “old House Tour” we opted for exterior views only. I have taken the tour in the past and it is interesting.  Maybe next trip  there will be time for that tour too.

The House of Seven Gables was a real house. Not just a construct for a novel. The opening lines of the novel are the perfect description of the ancient mansion.

The novel begins:

“Halfway down a by-street of one of our New England towns stands a rusty wooden house, with seven acutely peaked gables, facing towards various points of the compass, and a huge, clustered chimney in the midst. The street is Pyncheon Street; the house is the old Pyncheon House; and an elm-tree, of wide circumference, rooted before the door, is familiar to every town-born child by the title of the Pyncheon Elm.”

The Pyncheon family actually existed and were ancestors of American novelist Thomas Pyncheon.

At the time the novel was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the House  was owned by his cousin Susanna Ingersoll whose  ancestors were involved in the persecutions of the innocents during the Salem Witch Trials. Hawthorne was plagued by guilt over the part his family played in those terrible years and some believe this to be the reason for the tone of the novel. His novel explores land fraud, depression, ghosts and by innuendo, witchcraft.

At the time that I toured the mansion many years ago, the novel was fresh in my mind so I could appreciate the references made by the tour guides. One thing that really stands out in my memory is the secret staircase. At the time that I took the tour this tiny secret passage was open to the public via the tours. Since we didn’t take the tour this time I don’t know if that is still the case. I think I will re-read the novel before I go back for a return tour.

Also on the grounds and visible from the street is another period home that has been restored. Not as grand as the Seven Gables, which was considered a mansion, Hawthorne’s boyhood home sits were it can view the building he immortalized. This is another example of the traveling buildings of Salem. His home was relocated to this spot to preserve it for its historical value.

I can just imagine touring the 2 buildings on a gloomy, rainy day. Throw in a little thunder and lightning and I bet we could all become believers in ghosts and witches.

3 Centuries of New England Life

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One thing  that you will learn as you wander through the historic and vintage homes and buildings is that Salem likes to move their buildings around. They have a long-standing tradition that when a historic building is scheduled  for demolition someone seems to step up and with a twitch of a nose or a wave of a wand the building materializes in a new location.

Well, maybe not quite like that but there are certainly many examples of buildings being saved from the wrecking ball by being donated or otherwise acquired by a museum (The PEM) or attraction (Nathaniel Hawthorne’s house) on the grounds of the House of the 7 Gables.

The Peabody Essex Museum has been a pioneer in the acquisition, relocation, restoration, and interpretation of historic environments. One of the first examples was the Quaker Meeting House which was acquired in 1865 and reconstructed using what is thought to be the beams from the original First Church. This was followed in 1910 by the John Ward House.

The John Ward House was split in two and rolled on ox-drawn logs from its original site about 3 blocks to its present location. Restored and put back together, the building opened to the public in 1911. The building features typical 17 century furnishings.

The low ceilings, batten door and diamond-paned leaded glass casement windows typify the architecture of this period. This was the era of the Puritan, austerity was prized and money wasn’t everything. Life was simple and the functional emphasis of the building style and furnishings complimented the day-to-day living of these early settlers.

Moving on to the 18th century the housing style was more “English” and it was clear that a middle class was developing. In fact the architectural style is known as Georgian after King George. The old “batten” door is gone and the windows are now double hung sash windows that can be raised and lowered. Dormers or gables appeared in the gambrel roof.

Inside the furnishing are more advanced. Signs of wealth on display. Various classes were developing; the merchant class , the artisan, the farmer.

The last of the homes visited was by far the grandest. By this time in the 19th century the accumulation of wealth, as today had become of great importance and those who were succesful wanted all to know it. Newly independent and no longer colonies the building styles began to change. We were looking for our own identities and borrowed freely from other cultures. Greek revival with its columns or pilasters and ornate porticos became a popular style for the wealthy ship owners and merchants. Brick also came into fashion as a building material.

Inside the furnishing were much more lavish and ornate.

A tradition of adding an ivory button on the balustrade when the mortgage was paid developed so all of your neighbors would see when they came to visit.

Salem’s architectual heritage is rich and varied. These are just 3 of the many restored buildings that are spread throughout Salem. Look around and you’ll find examples of many other builing styles and architecture.

To take this 3 house tour through the centuries visit the Peabody/Essex museum.

Last Thoughts for now on Cruising Alaska

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Ok so I went a bit overboard on the stateroom stuff. I sounded like a paid advertisement for Holland America. OOPS! Plus now I know cruise ship cabins are boring! 🙂 But there are just a couple of last points I want to add to this series on the Alaska cruising.

One is the tradition od “dressing for dinner”. Historically dinner in the dining rooms on cruises were a formal affair. There were assigned times for each meal seating such as early or late, maybe 5:30 and again around 7:30. You were assigned to a table that often put strangers together. You sat with the same people throughout your cruise so hopefully you all got along.

The most formal dinner was the Captain’s Dinner when Jacket and Tie if not Black tie was strongly encouraged. Many of the cruise lines are getting away from this. The dining atmosphere is becoming more relaxed and casual. They are using a term “freestyle dining” or cruising which means that you can choose your own seating and the restaurant you want to eat in.

Beware of one thing…not all restaurants are included in the meal plan. Be sure if you chose not to eat in the dining room that the alternate restaurant is one of the inclusive options. If not you will surely have a wonderful meal but there will be a hefty price tag at the end of the meal. This can catch some new cruisers off guard.

On the Alaska Cruises through Holland America two of the dinner seating are formal. However if you don’t want to “dress the part” you can eat in the Lido Cafe which is casual. The same menu is offered as is in the dining room and it is an “inclusive” restaurant so no pricy surprise.

One other thing I made a point to ask about was the plane reservations to get us to the departure port. I had heard all kinds of things about the best way to handle the flights and of course no one agreed on anything so I tossed it out for the agents to answer.

What it boils down to is this: If the flight is booked for you by the cruise line they assume the responsibility to get you to the boat on time. They will assist you if your plane is delayed or your connections missed. If you book your own flight and have a mishap, you are on your own.

If the cruise line can’t get you to the departure port in time due to airline issues then they will be responsible for getting you to the next port of call. If you book the flight yourself, you are on your own.

Now if dollar for dollar the flight was the same cost either way it would be easy to decide . Just let the cruise line handle all the details. The problem is that unlike the “olden times” when cruise lines reserved a block of flights and offered discounted fares, you can now get a better price by booking your flight on your own. Just remember you will be on your own to handle any snafus.

One suggestion is to book your own flight and arrive a day early in your departure city. Use the time to relax, adjust your body clock or sightsee.

According to the “pros” from AAA and Holland America, this will be one of the most expensive vacations most people will take in their life so this is one time they strongly urge that you insure your vacation with trip insurance.

Although I don’t usually buy trip insurance, I expect that I will for this trip because as has been pointed out numerous times in this series of posts..it’s a lot of money!

The Staterooms…Ocean View or Inside???

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As I mentioned in yesterday’s post I’m going to share with you what the Holland America Rep told us about the cabins on-board the ship. I did a short cruise to Nassau, Bahama’s at one time and shared an itty-bitty cabin on the inside of the ship. It was ok. We were only in the cabin to sleep at night. During the day if we weren’t ashore we were on the promenade deck or by the pool but Alaska is going to be a bit on the cool side for swimming I would think. They talked more about mittens and scarves than swim suits and tans.

Holland America says they have over 50 years experience cruising Alaska waters which is more than any other cruise line. I admit, if money were no object I would definitely go for a National Geographic Cruise but since that is really “in my dreams” I don’t have any real idea which is the next best line. That said I am now writing about Holland America because they have been the most forthcoming so far. RC (Royal Caribbean) was nice but they just threw so much at me in one phone call that as I said yesterday, I was left feeling very uncomfortable.

So back to the Holland America and the cabin options.

Obviously the most luxurious are the suites with balconies but if we/I am traveling on a budget is this really where we want to spend our money? In the session it sounded like you will be on a deck or in an observation area or on a tour most of the time. Once again cabins are places more for changing clothes and sleeping. The RC counselor was really pushing the ocean view and balconies. Holland America was far more flexible even pointing out that an ocean view can be a disadvantage if you are trying to sleep and the sun is as bright at midnight as it is at noon!

Apparently HA is known for its spacious and luxurious cabins.

The Penthouse Verandah Suite Category PS is the top of the line. At approximately 1160 square ft it’s bigger than my whole 1 bedroom condo which comes in at right around 1000 sq. ft. including my deck! Amenities include:  Bedroom with 1 king-size bed, oversize whirlpool bath and shower and additional shower stall, living room, dining room, dressing room, verandah, pantry,1 sofa bed sleeping 2 persons, DVD player, mini-bar, refrigerator, guest toilet, floor-to-ceiling windows. Although this is nice, I would rather put the extra money toward a shore excursion. This is just a bit too big for my taste on a budget.

Option 2: Deluxe Verandah Suite Category S. Approximately 556 square feet including the verandah.
Amenities include:  2 lower beds convertible to 1 king-size bed, whirlpool bath and shower and additional shower stall, large sitting area, dressing room, private verandah, 1 sofa bed sleeping 2 persons, DVD player, mini-bar, refrigerator, floor-to-ceiling windows. At about 1/2 the size of the premier accommodations I wouldn’t mind this especially, with 2 people. The question is, how much would this one set us back???

Option 3: Superior Verandah Suite Category SS:
Approximately 389 square feet including the verandah
Amenities include:  2 lower beds convertible to 1 queen-size bed, sofa bed sleeping 1 person, bathroom with dual sink vanity, full-size whirlpool bath and shower and additional shower stall, private verandah, DVD player, floor-to-ceiling windows, personalized cruise stationery, elegant bathrobes for use on your cruise, fresh flowers and fruit assortment, luxurious beds featuring Sealy Premium Euro-Top mattresses and finely woven cotton linens. Nice  but getting smaller and still includes a verandah.

Option 4: Still with Verandah but getting smaller still: Verandah Suite Categories – A, B, BB, BC
Approximately 292 square feet including the verandah
Amenities include:  2 lower beds convertible to 1 queen-size bed, whirlpool bath and shower, sitting area, private verandah, DVD player, mini-bar, refrigerator, floor-to-ceiling windows, personalized cruise stationery, elegant bathrobes for use on your cruise, fresh flowers and fruit assortment, luxurious beds featuring Sealy Premium Euro-Top mattresses and finely woven cotton linens.

I just want to be sure I have a separate bed!

Option 5: Deluxe Verandah Outside Cabin Categories – VA, VB, VC, VD, VE and VF. Approximately 249 square feet including verandah
Amenities include:  2 lower beds convertible to 1 queen-size bed, bath and shower, sitting area, private verandah, floor-to-ceiling windows

Option 6….I feel like it’s the incredible shrinking room ! Losing the Verandah now:

Large Outside Cabin Categories – C, D, DD, E, F, G, H and HH
Approximately 197 square feet
Amenities include:  2 lower beds convertible to 1 queen-size bed, bathtub and shower, window (Category G, H and HH may have obstructed views on certain ships)

Option 7: Oh Oh..no verandah and no outside ocean view. I wonder what kind of savings we would get with one of these.

Large Inside Cabin Categories – I, J, K, L, M and MM
Approximately 182 square feet
Amenities include:  2 lower beds convertible to 1 queen-size bed, shower

Finally the last category. This is what I think I was in when I went to the Bahamas.

Option 8: Standard Inside Cabin Categories – N and NN
Approximately 155 square feet
Amenities include:  2 lower beds convertible to 1 queen-size bed, shower

Have any of you cruised? Anyone with any experience with the cabins?

I checked out the Holland American website a little bit. Most of the information is right there with lots of pictures and virtual tours. The shore excursions are also listed based on the cruise itinerary you will be on. They also list general information about deposits, down payments and so on. Important to know as you line up your financial ducks.

Well, that about covers the rooms/ cabins. Next post I’ll wrap up with some of the finer details such as dress code for dinner and making connections. See you Monday! 🙂