Carnival Splendor in nightmare engine fire incident – Navy airlifts supplies

by Scott Carmichael on

What was supposed to be a week long Mexican Riviera cruise on board the Carnival Splendor, has turned into a nightmare for the passengers. Three days ago, a massive engine fire knocked out almost all the facilities on this 3300 passenger vessel.

Propulsion systems, electricity, climate control, water and entertainment were all disabled, and the ship was been stuck 200 miles off the coast of San Diego. The situation was so bad, that the U.S. Navy had to be called in to supply food for the stranded passengers. The USS Ronald Reagan used its helicopters to drop thousands of pounds of supplies and Navy sailors were airlifted to the Splendor to assist with unloading.

The 3,299 passengers and 1,167 crew members have cold water and toilet usage back, but most other services are still disabled. A tug boat reached the ship yesterday, and she is expected to arrive in San Diego tomorrow.

Carnival has made hotel and flight arrangements for the passengers, and everyone is being offered a full refund and a complimentary future cruise on Carnival.

Sadly, the ship has already has its fair share of bad luck – and despite being less than two years old, some are already asking whether the vessel is cursed. For more coverage on the Carnival Splendor fire, head on over to our friends at AOL Travel News.

%Gallery-107123%

[Image: US Navy / Getty / AP]

JW Marriott opens in Chicago

by Melanie Nayer on

Marriott certainly is making the rounds. The first ever JW Marriott Marquis opened in Miami last week and coming Thursday, Nov. 11, the JW Marriott Chicago will open its doors.

Situated in the historic Continental & Commercial National Bank Building in Chicago’s financial district, the JW Marriott Chicago will be the first of its brand in the windy city. Occupying the first 12 floors of the building at 151 W. Adams St., the hotel will have 610 guestrooms, including 29 corner suites and more than 44,000-square-feet of meeting space, a 20,000-square-foot world class spa and fitness center, and two different dining options – an Italian Steakhouse and a lounge serving more casual plates and sushi.

Each guestroom will offer complimentary in-room coffee/tea service and nightly turndown service. All rooms have 10-foot ceilings with handcrafted crown molding and spacious bathrooms clad in Italian marble, featuring stand alone tubs and separate marble showers. Forty-two inch flat-panel high-definition televisions grace each room with hookups for A/V stations and Wi-Fi capabilities.

The spa, VALEO, is a 20,000-square-foot space of ultimate serenity combining fitness facilities, traditional and non-traditional spa services and myriad salon services. The fitness center will feature cardio and circuit training equipment, a large pool for laps as well as a therapeutic whirlpool.

The hotel’s restaurants, The Florentine and the lobby lounge, give travelers and hotel guests the option of fine dining or casual take-out. The Florentine, a concept from the BLT Restaurant Group, offers Italian-American fare from Corporate Executive Chef Rodelio Aglibot and Executive Chef Todd Stein, of Sunda and mk fame respectively. For a more casual experience, the JW Marriott Chicago’s lobby lounge will serve light fare like appetizers and sushi.

To celebrate the opening of the hotel, individual room reservations will be available beginning November 11, 2010 with introductory rates from $179 – $329.

Shanghai Disneyland construction begins

by Leigh Caldwell on

Construction on a new Disneyland Resort is already underway in Shanghai.

Last week, Disney signed a deal with Shanghai Shendi Group to develop the park. Now the blog Disney and More has posted some of the first pictures of construction activity on the 1.5-square-mile plot where the theme park will be located on the east bank of the Huangpu.

The images show little more than cranes and construction trailers at the site, but they do indicate that the houses and buildings that once stood there have been demolished and cleared away.

The Chinese government relocated the residents this summer – a controversial practice that also happened to make way for Beijing Olympics venues and the World Expo. Shanghaiist.com says 2,000 households were “forcibly evicted” for the Disney project.

Shanghai Disneyland is expected to cost $3.5 billion to build. It’s set to open in 2014. The theme park will be Disney’s fourth outside of the United States, along with theme parks in Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong project – Disney’s other foray into China – has been a disappointment so far. Hong Kong Disneyland reported financial losses last year. The park – currently Disney’s smallest – is undergoing a major expansion, with three new themed lands expected to be completed by 2014.

[Image credit: Flickr user madiko83]

Daily gear deals – $32 GPS unit, $25 unlocked GSM phone and more

by Scott Carmichael on

Here are the hottest gear deals for today, Wednesday November 10, 2010. Remember, these deals are often valid for just one day, so act fast before they are gone.

Today’s first deal is great if you’d like to use your iPod or iPhone in your hotel room for some entertainment. The DLO HomeDock HD comes with an RF remote, and supports music, photos and video. Reviews are a mixed bag, but a recent software update will apparently fix all problems. On sale for just $27.40. Click here for this deal.

Next up is a great bargain on the Garmin Dakota 10 bike GPS system. In this bundle, you get the Garmin Dakota, a bike mount kit and the North American City Navigator DVD. On sale for $216, down from $399. Click here for this deal.

Today’s third deal is perfect if you need a cheap European compatible mobile phone. This Motorola V220 is on sale for $24.99, with free shipping. It’ll work on all European operators, as well as T-Mobile and AT&T in the US. Because it is unlocked, any prepaid sim you find will work in it. Click here for this deal.

Looking for a GPS unit, but not willing to spend too much? How about $32? If you head on over to Midnightbox.com, you’ll find an Insignia refurbished GPS unit for a mere $31.95. I can’t comment on the quality, but remember – you get what you pay for. Click here for this deal.

Ask Gadling: You missed your flight

by Meg Nesterov on


Even in this day and age of flight delays and cancellations, it’s always not the airline’s fault that you miss your flight. It happens: you oversleep, get stuck in traffic, or just run late on the way to the airport and miss your flight. A few months ago, my husband and I were heading out of Istanbul for the weekend and because of unusually long security lines and non-functional check-in kiosks, our flight closed just before we got to the check-in counter and we missed the flight. Turkish Airlines rebooked and ticketed us on another flight with a small change fee. Recently, some visiting friends missed their flight home though they were *at the gate* due to a last-minute gate change and zero announcements. Despite the fact that other passengers made the same mistake, they paid a change fee plus the fare difference, and they were also flying Turkish Airlines.

So what can you do if you miss your flight?

View more Ask Gadling: Travel Advice from an Expert or send your question to ask [at] gadling [dot] com.
  1. Proceed to the airport check in counter – There used to be an unwritten “flat tire” rule that meant if you got a flat tire en route, you could show up and be put on the next flight with no charge. That rule seems to have gone the way of the free meal in coach, but many airlines may still try to help depending on demand and schedules. If you are on your way but think you will miss the check in cut off time but not the departure time, try calling the airline in case they are able to check you in and then rush you to the gate. Even if you know you will miss your flight, your odds of being rebooked are better if you are physically at the airport than if you go back home or to your hotel. You may even still make the fight if you can (politely, please!) push through security if you tell other passengers you are about to miss your flight.
  2. Use your status if you have it – If you are flying an airline you hold status with, now is the time to call the Gold desk. Flying a full-fare or upper class ticket can also help. This is not to say you should threaten anyone or act self-important, you want to show you are a valuable customer who would greatly appreciate being accommodated. Missed flights are another good case for travel insurance, if you’ve ensured your trip, you may be able to be rebooked for free.
  3. Be calm and flexible – It may not be your fault that your taxi driver took the long way to the airport, but you’re still in the weaker position and at the mercy of the ticketing agent. It won’t help to be difficult or angry. Additionally, being flexible about your routing can help, especially if you’ve missed the last direct flight of the day. Ask about connections or even flights to neighboring cities where you can take a train or drive the rest of the way. The day we missed our flight out of Istanbul to Pristina, we ended up on the next flight – to Prague. Your travel plans may not always be so flexible, but getting a seat on a connecting flight may mean you get home – or on vacation – faster.

Gadling readers: what’s your experience been when you’ve missed a flight? What airlines do you find to be the most accommodating?