A Little Slice of Hawaii in Florida.

     There is a part of Florida that is so different that any other part of Florida, it almost feels like you have landed in Hawaii. I'm talking about the west coast of Florida. There are quiet little beach side towns like Captiva Island, Naples and Marco Island. We just came home from a weekend away on Marco Island, where we stayed at the Marriott Marco Island Resort & Spa. It is a huge resort that sits right on the beautiful white soft sand of Marco Island. Almost all the rooms look out onto the tranquil Gulf of Mexico, where the water feels as warm as a bath.

                                            One of the resort towers at the Marriott Marco Island

     Marco Island feels like Florida should feel. It is a small island, where many people spend their winters and some lucky few live year-round. It is only about 18 miles from Naples and only about a 2 hour drive from Fort Lauderdale or Miami.

                                                                 Our Terrace Penthouse

     When we first arrived at the Marriott Marco Island, the first thing we did was check into our Terrace Penthouse. These rooms are on high floors in one of the two towers. The Marriott also has regular tower rooms, which may be more affordable for you. But if you can spend the extra money,  I would suggest you get a Terrace Penthouse or Lanai Suite. The Lanai Suites are like little cottages by the beach.

                               Some of the Lanai Suites at the Marriott Marco Island

      You can get a Lanai Suite on the second floor, which has a balcony and a staircase leading down to the pool and beach. I spoke to some parents who were staying at the hotel and they recommended the Lanai Suites so your kids have direct access to the pool and beach and you don't have to carry all your stuff and kids down elevators and through lobby areas to get outside. If you get a Lanai Suite, you will have a much larger room and they also have large balconies.

      When it came to our Penthouse Terrace room, ours had two bathrooms, a large living room and a huge bathroom with a deep tub and shower.

              Our lanai was huge. It was so big I couldn't show you the whole thing in one photo.

     The hotel is right on the beach. The beach is one of my favorite things about the west coast of Florida. Whenever I drive across Alligator Alley to go to the west coast of Florida, it makes me feel like I am in Hawaii. Marco Island has the feel of small-town Florida. It is the picture perfect little town that you would expect to find in Florida. It is a relaxed beach side community where people spend lazy days. Don't think it's boring though. If you want to go out to some great restaurants and even find the party crowd, you can take a short drive to Naples.

      The west coast of Florida ha a totally different beach then you find on the east coast in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. The beach has different sand. The sand here is white and very soft. It is also full of shells.

      Every morning you will see people scouring the beach for shells and the good ones are not hard to find. The hotel will give you a bucket to collect the shells in and they even leave some out that other guests and hotel staff have found so you get a chance at taking home some special ones.

                       This is the table right by the beach where you can grab some good shells.         

     If you have children, they are going to love this hotel. The hotel have tons of activities for kids. The hotel has a special kids program, where they can go off and do all sorts of things while the adults get some time to relax. There is a bungee jumper on the beach, where kids can bungee jump. If you look at the photo below, you will see they don't actually bungee jump. It's more like a trampoline.

     Your kids will also love the pool. The pool has a waterfall an a water slide. There is one warning that I have for adults. If you are not traveling with kids and you want to relax, the pool may be a little noisy for you. The main pool is where everyone goes. It's also where the poolside bar is, so people are having fun and not looking for peace and quiet. The beach may be a better option for adult quiet time.

     Your kids will also love the beautiful fish tank in the lobby.

     If you are not traveling with kids or you just want to get away from your own, my suggestion is you escape to the spa. If you can spend a day at the spa, you will find a tranquil oasis, where there are no kids and just peace and quite. We spent the day at the spa pool and enjoyed lunch and cocktails. There are two pool at the spa. One is a mineral pool and the other is a regular swimming pool. The staff is amazing at the entire resort and they are especially attentive to their spa guests. My wife and I also got a couples massage, which was around $120 each and the therapists were fantastic. The therapists at the hotel actually give you the massage you want. I have been to so many hotel spas where they don't do a good deep tissue massage because they are either not well trained or nervous about lawsuits.The therapists here were nice and listened to exactly what we wanted and we both left relaxed and free of tension.

                The pool at the spa. This is the place to escape to if you want some peace and quiet.

                                   There are two pools at the spa. This is the mineral pool.

      There are many hotel options on Marco Island but, if you have kids or if you don't want to spend a fortune on your room, the Marriott is my recommendation. If you love the beach, the water and a Hawaiian feel that is not a long flight from home, this hotel will make you very happy.

My favorites at the Marriott Marco Island:

1) Location - Right on the beach, beautiful sunsets at night and it felt like we were on vacation in Hawaii.

2) Breakfast - They have a huge buffet at the hotel restaurant.

3) The Terrace Penthouses and Lanai Suites - These rooms are large, newly renovated and have great views. The Lanai Suites put you and your family right in a prime location to get to the pol and beach and feel like you have your own little beach side cottage.

What could Make it better?

1) Food & drinks are expensive - This is not unusual for resorts but the breakfast buffet was $25 per person. It was okay with me but may be a little expensive for families to do every day. Drinks by the pool were also expensive. This didn't bother me too much because I've seen much higher prices but people on a vacation budget should be prepared.

For more information about the Marriott Marco Island, take a look at their web site here. Marriott Marco Island Resort & Spa

   

Finding Seclusion on Oahu

       Flying on Hawaiian Airline's first nonstop flight from New York City to Honolulu, I was concerned that the only place we could stay would be on the crowded beach of Waikiki.

                                                 The hotels that line Waikiki Beach

         Waikiki Beach, of course, is where most of the hotels are. It's the most famous tourist destination on the island of Oahu, the most populous of the seven Hawaiian Islands. The hotels are lined up along the beach, one after another. When it comes to a quiet beach to relax on, Waikiki Beach isn't the best choice. It's beautiful all right. There's the extinct volcano of Diamond Head at one end and downtown Honolulu and it's marina at the other but it feels like South Beach in Miami.

                             You can see how crowded Waikiki Beach is on a typical day

     On this trip, I was bringing my girlfriend and planning to ask her to marry me while we were in Hawaii. I have stayed on Oahu many times before. Usually I stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, a nice resort, if you don't mind crowds of people and lots of screaming children. Some other beautiful and more secluded resorts on the eastern side of Diamond Head, where there are not as many people. I was considering staying at the Kahala Resort. This is one of Hawaii's most luxurious hotels and you pay the price for it. Ocean-view rooms can start at $720 per night.

                                                     The JW Marriott Ihilani

     Then there's the JW Marriott Ihilani, on the western side of Oahu, about a 30 minute drive from the airport. Photos of the resort, I knew it was the right place to stay and the right place to ask my girlfriend to marry me. The JW Marriott Ihilani sits on the ocean in a cove, lined with white sand. The warm ocean water is calm and there are no crowds. The resort reminded me of the very secluded hotels you find on Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii.

     Here are my top five favorite things about the JW Marriott - Ihiliani:


1) Location - The JW Marriott Ihilani is on the west side of Oahu near Barbers Point. The west side of Oahu gets less rain than the east side of the island. The resort is located in a gated community of condominiums and hotels. It's  a secluded cove where you feel like you are far away from  the other tourists. You are about a 30 minute drive from the airport and about a 40 minute drive to Honolulu. Traffic can be pretty intense on Oahu. Try not to drive from Honolulu back to the resort during rush hour. If you do, it's a slow hula dance all the way back.

                                Our ocean-view junior suite at the JW Marriott - Ihilani

                                                   The view from our balcony

2) The Lagoon - The JW Marriott Ihilani has a lagoon where baby Hammerhead sharks, Sting Rays and Starfish swim around. I guess the Starfish don't do much swimming but you can get up close and personal with all of them when you walk along the pathways. You can even schedule a time to get in the water and feed the Sting Rays. They say not to work. The  Sting Rays won't sting and the baby sharks won't bite.

                                      A Sting Ray and baby Hammerhead shark swimming by

                                     Guests at the JW Marriott Ihilani can feed the Sting Rays

3) The Beach - It sits on a cove where there is only one other hotel in sight. Disney has a resort next door called Aulani. I was worried with a Disney resort next door would mean Disney characters and kids, high on soda, running around and screaming. That is not the case. The Marriott and Disney resort are totally separate. I was surprised by how elegant and quiet the Disney resort was. We couldn't even tell there was a Disney property nearby. The ocean is very calm at the beach, so it is perfect for kids. Every night, you also get one of the best views of the sunset on Oahu.

                                          The beach at the JW Marriott Ihilani


4) The Secret Beach - About 100 yards from the hotel is a secret beach. It's not much of a secret anymore but usually you can have it to yourself. It is a small beach, lined with volcanic rock, a great spot to take photos or make out with someone you love without anyone seeing.

                                                   The "Secret Beach" at the hotel

5) Ocean View Rooms - If you can, spend the extra money for an ocean view room. The ocean-view rooms have beautiful balconies for sunset watching, in case you don't want to walk down to the beach.

                                One of the beautiful sunsets we watched from our balcony

      The JW Marriott is my favorite hotel on the island of Oahu. I was surprised by how secluded it felt and how beautiful it is. The staff is wonderful and all the restaurants at the resort are terrific. Make sure you try their sushi restaurant called Ushio-Tei. The sushi chef or Shokunin is great though it's not inexpensive. Grab a beer and walk over to the southern side of the beach, where there is a beautiful park. You can sit in the grass and watch the sunset. The only down side of the JW Marriott for us was their parking rates, $38 per night whether you valet park or self-park. Hotels should always have a lower rate for self-parking and $38 per night is too high for valet. Other than that, the resort was terrific and I will definitely stay there again. By the way, my girlfriend said, "yes."
     
      The JW Marriott Ihilani has many different vacation packages. We enjoyed their "Romance Package." For $539 per night, we booked an ocean-view room and got breakfast for two, a champagne welcome and a rose retal drawn bath. They also have special packages for families and a special vacation package for LGBT couples.
Take a look at the video we shot while we were at the JW Marriott Ihilani
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Take a look at our flight on Hawaiian Airlines from New York to Honolulu
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See more about the JW Marriott Ihilani 
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                                            My fiance Angela and me right after she said yes

My Top 5 Travel Web Sites

My Top 5 Travel Web Sites - You may have never heard about some of these

       There are so many travel web sites out there, even I get confused and lost when I am trying to book a vacation. In my opinion, the Expedia's, Travelocity's and Orbitz of the cyber world are pretty much the same. They will help you book your trip and get you on vacation. But then there are some web sites that I have discovered that offer incredible deals on vacations and make you feel quite smart as a traveler.

1) Yapta.com - This is one of my favorite web sites because it helps you do something that just sticks it to the airlines. Yapta.com is a free site that will help you track airfares as they go up and down. We've seen this before with other sites like farecompare.com. But what makes Yapta.com so great is, it will also help you get a refund even after you booked your flight.

     All you have to do is give them your email address and then search for the flight you want. When you find the right price, Yapta.com sends you to the airline's web site to book the ticket. If the ticket price drops between the time you booked the trip and your departure date, Yapta.com will send you an email. Most airlines will refund you the difference in price if you call them. The airline won't alert you to the fact that the ticket price dropped. That wouldn't be good for business. But Yapta.com will and it saved me about $500 on a trip to Costa Rica with American Airlines. Keep in mind that not all airlines will refund the difference but Yapta.com has a list of the ones that will.

2) Seatguru.com - All airplane seats are not created equal. I love airplanes and I love flying first or business class when I can. Even when I fly economy, I always want to find the best seat on the plane. That's what seatguru.com does. Seatguru.com has information and reviews about almost every airline. When you are booking your flight and they give you the option to choose your seats, open up a new web page, log into seatguru.com, and look for the airline and type of plane you are flying on and seatguru.com will help you find the best seat to reserve. Some seats are too close to the bathroom. Other seats don't have windows or don't recline. There are all sorts of reviews that may surprise you. Even with business and first class seats, you can end up with a seat that doesn't recline as much or one that is too close to the galley where all the flight attendants are making noise while they perform the inflight service. Seatguru.com is a site I bookmarked and I use it everytime I book a ticket.

3) Sceptretours.com - I don't remember how I came across this site but, when it comes to vacations to Italy, Great Britain and Ireland, they have amazing deals. I remember the first deal I talked about. It was a vacation they were offering to Dublin, Ireland for 7 nights. The package included the roundtrip airfare from New York, 7 nights at the Ritz Carlton Powerscourt in Dublin and a rental car. I think the total price was around $1000 per person. I thought to myself, "that is absolutely amazing." Just the flight to Dublin could cost that price, roundtrip. This is why sceptretours.com became another one of my favorite travel web sites.

4) Travelbyjen.com - I don't know who Jen is but she has some amazing vacation deals to the Caribbean. The first time I found the web site, I saw a vacation to Cancun. It was to a luxury resort and the package gave you an oceanview suite, roundtrip airfare from New York, a $500 resort credit to use at the spa or for your incidental charges and the resort was all-inclusive, meaning all your food and drinks were included. This package was for a 5 day vacation and the price was $799 per person. Do I have to say anymore? I would bookmark the site. www.travelbyjen.com

5) Floridavacationauction.com - I am not supposed to call it the Ebay of travel, since the owner of the site, Sal Dickinson would snicker at me but that's what it really is, "The Ebay of travel." Floridavacationauction.com is a travel web site where you bid on Florida vacations. You can save 60% or more on trips. Sal has all sorts of hotels on his site, from luxury properties to places that your kids will love. Some of the resorts he has are right near Disney World or on a beautiful beach in The Keys. He also has some auctions for activities. His site is so easy to use. It's free and, when you win an auction, the price includes all taxes and fees. There really aren't any taxes and fees, since your winning bid is what you pay. All the auctions start on Sunday night and last for one week. The winner is notified the following Sunday. You first look at a map of Florida and choose the area you want to travel to. Then you scroll through a list of active auctions. As I am writing this story, Sal has an auction up for a vacation at the historic Biltmore Hotel in Miami. The vacation package is for five days and four nights.You get a junior suite and, in this case, you do have to pay a resort fee of $20 per day but that is not normally the case. The retail value of this vacation is $1,521.88. You can buy this package immediately, without bidding for $813.48. The opening bid is only $305.00. Have you bookmarked his website yet?

There is one other site that I would recommend you check frequently. It's my site,www.travelnewsanddeals.com. You can check all of my favorite travel web sites and see the most current vacation deals from all over the Internet. Happy travels everyone.

Aloha to New York City

                        The departure board at JFK.

            It is a long flight to Hawaii. I don’t mean a long flight from Los Angeles or Chicago. I’m talking about the flight from New York to Honolulu. In June, Hawaiian Airlines started the first nonstop flights from New York’s Kennedy Airport to Honolulu. When I first started talking about their new service, someone told me that United has been doing it for years. Yes, United flies nonstop from the New York area to Hawaii but they leave from Newark and I think most New Yorkers would agree, Newark Airport is not in New York.

                        Hawaiian Airlines uses brand new A330 for the flight

            

       Along with Hawaiian’s new service to Honolulu, United has started nonstop flights from Washington, Dulles in addition to their flight from Newark. Delta has a nonstop from Atlanta. The reason so many airlines are starting to fly nonstop from the East Coast to Hawaii is because cross country airfares have dropped so much. Many airlines saw an opportunity to sell nonstop tickets from the East Coast for one low fare and attract people who don’t want to change planes in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco….. or go anywhere near the Newark Airport.

            My Top 5 Favorites Things About Flying Hawaiian Airlines to Hawaii from New York.

         1)   It’s Nonstop. About 10 hours from New York to Honolulu. Before Hawaiian started flying from New York, I used to fly to Los Angeles or San Francisco first to connect. It took about 12 hours total, sometimes more with the stops. The flight doesn't feel that long. With all the food and entertainment options, there's plenty to occupy your time.

         2) The Service - You feel like you're in Hawaii before you get there. Hawaiian has award-winning service. With the flight attendants in tropical shirts and gate agents wearing leis, you get that island feeling as you wait in line at Kennedy Airport in New York.

                    You check in at Terminal 5, where Jetblue departs from at JFK

      3) Hawaiian’s Dating Jetblue – Hawaiian partnered with Jetblue, so if you live in Boston, Florida or any Jetblue city on the East Coast, you can check your bag when you board you Jetblue flight, you and your bags change seamlessly in New York and you all arrive in Hawaii together. Jetblue is also allowing their True Blue members to earn mileage when they fly Hawaiian.

                                            Hawaiian Airline's First Class

        4) Hawaiian’s First Class – It’s not like international first classes but the seats are very comfortable. The seats don’t recline to a lie-flat position but you recline much more compared to coach, you get a foot rest and you get all the free alcohol you want. I overdid it on the Mai Tai’s. The seats recline 46 inches and are 18.5 inches wide. There are 18 seats in first class.

    5) The Food – They serve food. I know that doesn't sound amazing but it is. What airline has ever served you food on a domestic flight after 9-11. They don't just serve food in first class but in coach too. Hawaiian is the only airline, flying to Hawaii from the United States that serves meals on all flights. If you book first class, the food is delicious. I can’t tell you what it tastes like in coach but I saw people eating it and smiling. I had steamed Mahi Mahi, spinach lasagna and spicy chicken. We had Tiramisu for dessert. They are also very generous with the champagne. It keeps on flowing the minute you board.

What would make Hawaiian Even Better?

1) Wi-Fi – Lufthansa has started to offer wifi on overseas flights and I think it would make Hawaiian more attractive to travelers, if they could use the Internet on the long flight.

                                The Digiplayers in First Class

         2) More Entertainment Options – I wasn’t bored at all. There were plenty of films, TV shows and games but they were the same movies, TV shows and games both ways. They should change things up a bit.

        Take a look at the video we shot when we flew on Hawaiian Airlines. First Class on Hawaiian Airlines

           

Where To Find Vacation Deals Right Now

     Summer has officially begun and there are still many people who haven't decided where they want to vacation. A big part of their procrastination is the economy. Vacations are expensive. When people are cutting back on expenditures, the vacation is usually one of the first things to go. But I have found five great vacations that are not very expensive and will help you get away with your family, your friends or just by yourself.

1) The Caribbean - I know it may sound silly to take a trip to the sunny and warm Caribbean when it's summer where you live. But the Caribbean is never 100 degrees and, even though beaches along the Jersey Shore, Long Island, Cape Cod and California are beautiful, the water is never as warm as it is down south.

a) Dominican Republic - Some of the best vacation deals right now, for all-inclusive resorts are in the Dominican Republic. Santo Domingo is probably not where you want to vacation. Santo Domingo, for th emost part is just a large, corwded city and it's not very photogenic. You want to go to other areas on the island. The beaches and hotels in Punta Cana, Puerto Plata, La Cieba, Samana and La Romana are beautiful. One of the best web sites to find Dominican Republic deals is Cheap Caribbean.com I have found vacation packages for as little as $549 for five nights at an all-inclusive resort with airfare from Fort Lauderdale. Airfare may be slightly higher from other cities.

                                         One of the beautiful beaches in Puerto Plata

   Dominican Republic Vacation Deals:

     1) La Romana 
     2) Puerto Plata
     3) Punta Cana
     4) Samana

2) Cancun - I know many people are scared to travel to Mexico due to the extreme violence that has been going on across the border. But there is one place in Mexico where tourists are still safe and the deals are incredible. Cancun is one of the most beautiful destinations of Mexico and if you are looking for a great beach vacation, or if you would like to party all night long, this is a great, inexpensive vacation for you. Once again, Cheapcaribbean.com is a great place to find the deals. Here are some of the best vacation deals to Cancun and Riviera Maya. Cancun Vacation Deals. I have seen deals to Cancun at beautiful all-inclusive resorts for as little as $659 for four nights, including airfare.

                                                  The white-sand beaches of Cancun

Another great web site for deals to Mexico is TravelbyJen. I don't know who Jen is but she has deals to Cancun and Riviera Maya that amaze me. Take a look at this deal for a romantic, adults-only vacation where all your food, airfare and taxes are included for 5 nights. You also get your own suite with a private jacuzzi. It's $999 for 5 nights, including airfare. Romantic All-inclusive Getaway

Take a look at the video we did in Cancun. There's more than just the beach. Travel TV in Cancun, Mexico

3) Ireland - If you don't think you can get a vacation together this summer, think about the fall. One of my favorite web sites for finding great deals to Ireland is Sceptre Tours. They have deals to Ireland, Italy and the United Kingdom. Some of the best deals I have seen are to Ireland. Sceptre Tours caught my attention when they were selling a 7 night vacation to Dublin, with a room at the Ritz Carlton, car rental and airfare from New York for only $889 per person. They always have amazing deals.

                                                            A picturesque Irish town

4) Hawaii - One of the best times to travel to Hawaii and get great deals is at the end of the summer and just after Labor Day. Hawaii is never cheap but there are places where you can find much better deals than what you will see on Expedia.com or the major travel web sites. I found a great web site called Save On Aloha. The site has severely discounted rates at hotels on all the islands of Hawaii. I found this site while I was planning a trip to Hawaii. When I was looking for hotels on Maui, I wanted to stay at the Fairmont Kea Lani. The price on Expedia for 5 nights, with nothing else was $2939.56. The same room, with breakfast on Save On Aloha was $1532. That's a savings of $1407.56. Guess where I booked.

                                                   Waikiki Beach on the island of Oahu

5) Cruises - I love to cruise. Cruises are one of the best values for a vacation, since you pay for the cruise and all your food is included. Of course, you will need extra money for alcohol and shore excursions. In the summer, cruises are deeply discounted. As we get into hurricane season, especially in September, October and November, you can find great deals because most people are afraid to cruise during hurricane season. There is no reason to be afraid. If you cruise gets cancelled the cruise line will reschedule you or refund your money. Cruise ships never go through storms. In fact they avoid them by hundreds of miles. I took a cruise last year where we were diverted due to a hurricane. Instead of going to the Western Caribbean, we went to the Eastern Caribbean. No big deal at all. One of the best deals on cruises is through Cruise.com. I found some cruises for as little as $449 per person and that was for a balcony stateroom. My favorite cruise lines are Celebrity, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Princess. If you like Carnival, you can find cruises for even less. Another great cruise web site is Cruise Compete. This site gets travel agents to compete for your business, so you end up with the best price. It's free to use. Holland America is having a sale right now on cruises to Europe and Alaska. You can see the deals here. Travel News & Deals

You can see the video we did on board the Celebrity Solstice Class ships here - Celebrity Solstice Class Ships

I hope you will bookmark our web site at Travel News & Deals We update great vacation deals every day and, if you register on the site, you can be eligible to win FREE vacations. Please become our Facebook fan as well. Just click on this link and like us. Travel News & Deals Facebook Fan Page Happy travels everyone!

Phishing Scam Targets Summer Travelers

      I always thought computer hackers had to be smart. But after receiving an email that said it was from Delta Air Lines, I learned that many computer hackers are just plain dumb.

      Still, millions of people have their personal information stolen and end up with viruses on their computers because they think these emails are real and they click on the link to see more information. It's called a phishing scam.

     Wikipedia defines a phishing scam as "a way of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Basically, someone sends you an email that looks like the real deal. They are hoping you will bite, thus the term phishing.

      The email I received on June 19, 2012 had a subject line that read, "Your ticket." The address it came from was information@delta.com. Since I travel all the time, that was enough for me to open the email and look into it more. This is when people behind this email phishing scam lost me as a potential victim.

      The email I received, claiming to be from Delta Airlines. This is not what a confirmation from Delta looks like.


     They lost me as a potential victim because the email didn't look anything like a real Delta Air Line's itinerary or confirmation email you receive after you book a flight. You may be wondering, why would anyone even look at this email if they are not flying with Delta? They probably wouldn't but during the busy summer travel season, the people behind this scam are hoping that they get inside a few in boxes of travelers who did book reservations with Delta.

     These travelers may think that Delta is notifying them about something or they may think Delta is sending them a receipt. They may also think it's a mistake and get alarmed when they see a line inside the email confirming their credit card paytment to Delta. This is when some of those potential victims actually become victims.

    Attached to the email is a "zip" file that says, "Ticket_Delta-Air_Lines. The scammers are hoping you will click on the "zip" to download the ticket and view it. Delta Air Lines tells us they have received complaints about this phishing scam and warn people if you click on the link, a virus could be downloaded to your computer or your personal information could be stolen.

       The top portion of a real Delta confirmation. Notice the Delta logo and bar code

The bottom portion of a real Delta email confirmation.

     I have posted two images above showing what a real Delta confirmation looks like. When Delta sends you an email, it usually comes from an email address called - "DeltaElectronicTicketReceipt@delta.com." There is always a confirmation number, a ticket number and the subject line of the email usually looks something like this: "Joel C FT LAUDERDALE 18JAN07" That subject line displays part of your name, the city you are departing from and the date of your trip.

     In the phishing email I received, the subject line just said, "Your ticket." Once I opened the email, it displayed a very elementary-looking itinerary, that listed a few key terms like "Number of bags" and my seat and phony ticket numbers.

     The question now is did these email scammers get our email addresses from data they stole from Delta Air Lines or is this just a mass email sent out to millions of people. My email appears to be a part of a mass email. I was one of several people listed as recipients.

     In a written statement to us, Delta Says, "because Delta is not the source of the fraudulent email, we cannot speculate on how the addresses were obtained or how many emails were sent. Delta’s information security team is continuing to monitor the situation and have confirmed that no customer data was compromised."

     Even though Delta says in their statement that no customer data was compromised, the airline goes on to say, "we recommend you change your SkyMiles account PIN immediately and monitor your account for any misuse."

     The bottom line is this was a very badly put together phishing scam that probably didn't hurt too many computers. But every phishing scam catches some victims. In a case like this, where hundreds of thousands of phony emails may have been sent out, some people had to fall for it and that is exactly what these scammers are hoping for. For them, even hooking one "phish" is a catch.

    

What does it mean when your cruise ship is sick?

     When I was a television news reporter and anchor, the assignment desk would erupt in activity whenever they heard about a cruise ship coming back to port with sick passengers. I was the anchor who read the story or tossed to the reporter, who was live on the scene, telling us about a macab-sounding disease called, "Norovirus."

     It did sound pretty bad. In fact, I thought there was something dangerous about sailing on cruise ships after I heard about case after case. That was until I talked to doctors at the Centers for Disease Control and found out that Norovirus is nothing more than the stomach flu and it isn't a disease that people only get on cruise ships.

                                       That's a mugshot of the Norovirus. It's actually kind of pretty.

     "According to the Centers for Disease Control, "The common cold is the only illness more common, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta estimates that there are more than 20 million cases of Norovirus annually."
     I have been on more than 70 cruises in my life and I have never gotten sick. I did get seasick once on a small boat in Miami but I have never contracted Norovirus or any other disease while I was on a cruise ship. I have gotten sick more often flying on a plane. More people get sick flying on planes every year compared to people who cruise. Less people cruise, of course, which makes the comparison a little unfair, but if anyone gets sick on a plane, should we all not fly?

                                             Sailing on that ship would make me toss my cookies.

     According to the braniacs at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, "Norovirus is a very contagious virus. You can get norovirus from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces. The virus causes your stomach or intestines or both to get inflamed (acute gastroenteritis). This leads you to have stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea and to throw up."

    Okay, so you barf and get the runs. But, why do we hear about Norovirus all the time on cruise ships if it is not a cruise ship disease? Shouldn't we all be scared to go on cruises, since we can all end up in our staterooms barfing and pooping? The answer is no.

                                     Welcome aboard folks! Woops, sorry. That photo should be here.

     We hear about Norovirus on cruise ships all the time for two reasons. One is because news stations love to report the story. It is selacious and makes a good, "if it bleeds, it leads headline." The second and more important reason is cruise ships are one of the only hospitality industries that must report every sickness on a ship to the CDC.

     "The CDC tells me, ""the reason you hear about Norovirus on cruise ships is because they are required to report every incidence of gastrointestinal illness. Nowhere else in the public health system of the United States is Norovirus a reportable illness. Norovirus is not a 'cruise ship' illness, but an illness commonly seen in many settings throughout the United States."
     When you stay in a hotel, there may be several people who are suffering from the stomach flu. You wouldn't know about them because you probably won't see them. When someone gets sick in a hotel, they don't go downstairs to the front desk and ask to see the hotel doctor. Even if they do tell the front desk they are sick and they know they have the Norovirus, the hotel does not have to report it to any official organization, thus there are no records. On a cruise ship, there is a doctor, so sick passengers go to the medical office on the ship, they tell the doctor they are sick and the doctor has to notify the CDC that a passenger was treated for that illness.

                                                      Dr. Adam Bricker from the Love Boat

    The CDC says, "Anyone can be infected with norovirus and get sick. Also, you can have norovirus illness many times in your life. Norovirus illness can be serious, especially for young children and older adults."

     The people who cause Norovirus on cruise ships are usually sick before they get on. The reason other people get sick is becasue they haven't washed their hands properly, they are elderly or they have some sort of disease that compromises their immune system. I just came back from a cruise with my parents who are in their eighties. If anyone would be sensative to illnesses or the Norovirus, it would be my mom and dad. None of us got sick after 12 days at sea onboard the Celebrity Silhouette.
The point is, healthy people who wash their hands and eat their vegetables are unlikely to get sick on a cruise ship, even if there are people with Norovirus onboard. Thanks mom.

                                   My mom and dad on the ship. I don't see any Norovirus in this photo.

     Norovirus, just like the flu and, even a cold, is more dangerous to the elderly and small children. The smart people at the CDC say, "Norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in the United States. Each year, it causes about 21 million illnesses and contributes to about 70,000 hospitalizations and 800 deaths. Norovirus is also the most common cause of foodborne-disease outbreaks in the United States."

         By the way, while researching this story, I found out that scientists have discovered that re-usable grocery bags contribute to the spread of Norovirus. No more grocery shopping for me.

    You should also know that the CDC inspects all cruise ships that dock in the United States. It's part of their Vessel Sanitation Program. Cruise ships are scored, just like many restaurants are scored by health inspectors. You can see cruise ship inspection scores here. The Most Recent Cruise Ship Inspection Scores

     If you go to the link I just showed you, you will see that most cruise ships get health inspection scores in the 90's and even perfect scores. The Vessel Sanitation Program also monitors vessel cleanliness and there is no correlation between scores and outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness. In fact, Crown Princess, which was forced to end a cruise early in February 2012 to contain an outbreak, scored a 100 on its November 2011 inspection. The twice-yearly exam is notoriously thorough and challenging; 86 or above is considered passing.

                                            Purell landed the big deal. It's all you see on cruise ships.
     The doctors at the CDC say, this might even be an incredibly healthy time to sail, as cruise lines are developing proactive procedures to ensure that passengers on voyages, particularly throughout the winter season, don't get sick. If you cruise, you will see the staff cleaning everything all the time and you can't walk into a restaurant or dining area without have your hands sprayed with hand sanitizer.

                                       You have to sanitize your hands even after you just sanitized them.

     I think cruising is one of the best ways to travel. If you like to pay one price and see several destinations with all your meals included, it is one of the best all-inclusive vacations around. If you are nervous about getting Norovirus, then wrap yourself in a plastic bag wherever you go.  You have probably had it before and you are exposed to all the time. Thank God for our immune systems and Purell. If you ever have a question about cruising or travel or you want to share your stories, send me an email at joel@travelnewsanddeals.com. Happy travels everyone!