Tag Archives: Travel
Published on The Independent on 26th February 2020
Words – January 2020
Published this month:
- KILLER INFERNO Is it safe to travel to Australia? Latest advice as bushfires worsen and NSW declares week-long emergency
- WALT A JOB Disneyland Paris is hiring princes and princesses this month – and you don’t need any experience
- BARGAIN STAY Best budget-friendly hotels opening in 2020 including one near Disney from £65 a night
- STAR BUY Eurostar’s £29 fares are back – perfect if you’re heading to Disneyland Paris this year
- GANGSTA RIDE Alton Towers is launching a Gangsta Granny ride based on David Walliams’ children’s books
- OOH NAH NAH French strikes: Flights to France delayed or cancelled as air traffic controllers stage walk outs today
- GO ALL IN Best value all-inclusive destinations for 2020 including Spain and Turkey – and deals start from less than £300pp
- IRAN AROUND UK airlines banned from Iran and Iraq airspace with British Airways and Virgin passengers facing longer flights
- WILD RIDE Chessington is launching four new rides this year including one featuring Elmer the elephant
- ISLE GO Stunning Irish island is looking for people to live there – and they will pay for your food and accommodation
- SCORPIONS ON A PLANE Air passenger tried to smuggle 200 live scorpions out of Sri Lanka in his luggage
- UN-BA-LIEVABLE Flybe ‘not given State Aid’ says government after British Airways owner complains to EU over ‘unfair’ rescue deal
- ORIENT EXCESS Asia’s biggest liner from Royal Caribbean has space for more than 4,000 passengers across 16 decks
- RYAN-SCARE Panic as Ryanair plane cabin suddenly fills up with smoke forcing pilots to make emergency landing
- IN A SPIN Incredible aqua park opens a rotating water slide – and it already has a ride featuring sharks
- RYAN-FARE Ryanair flash sale has flights from £5.99 – but you’re going to have to be quick
- ROOM FOR TWO Best romantic boltholes you can book for Valentine’s Day – and they start from less than £30 per person
- WINGING DESIGNS Best plane cabins of the future include beds in economy, zero waste meal trays and self-cleaning toilets
- ‘I’M CALLING THE COPS’ Outrage as plane passenger brazenly picks dead skin off their feet next to another flyer
- SAVE SEASON Cheapest cruise deals are found during ‘wave season’ when Royal Caribbean, P&O and Celebrity all slash prices
- ISLE GO Best all-inclusive deals to book now including 5-night Majorca break for £149pp
- KEEP YOUR HAT ON Terrified passengers wear PLASTIC BOTTLES and motorbike helmets to protect themselves against coronavirus
- QUAKE ALERT Is it safe to travel to Jamaica and the Caribbean? Latest advice after 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocks the islands
- SEA YOU THERE Stunning Italian city by the sea is latest to sell homes for just 85p
- DESPICABLE Second family spots Universal Orlando staff in Despicable Me costume making ‘racist gesture’
- CAUSING A STINK Couple kicked off American Airlines flight over ‘extremely offensive body odour’ say they were targeted for being Jewish
- STAR BUY Disney forced to sell Star Wars cutlery as souvenirs because guests keep stealing them
- HANG ON Heathrow Airport staff to strike this weekend with passengers warned missing luggage could ‘disappear forever’
- EU NEED TO KNOW Travelling to Europe after Brexit – how will it affect my holiday?
- SEE EU How Brexit will affect your holidays from January 2021 – after the transition period ends
- PENNY PINCHER Greedy travel firms are making it harder for you to find a good deal by using AI to hike prices
- DUPLO THE FUN Legoland’s new Duplo rollercoaster is opening in March – and your kids will love it
ORIENT EXCESS Asia’s biggest liner from Royal Caribbean has space for more than 4,000 passengers across 16 decks
Published in The Sun on 18th January 2020
Also published on The Sun digital
I AM a novice when it comes to cruising – the last time I sailed was on a tiny vessel on the Yangtze River when I was 11.
More than two decades later, I am back in China for another cruise. But this time it is aboard the biggest liner in Asia: Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas.
It is the first Quantum Ultra-class ship from Royal Caribbean and has space for more than 4,000 passengers across 16 decks. To keep sailors of every age happy, there is everything from a creche, splash pool for toddlers, laser tag for teens and a casino for grown-ups.
Words – December 2019
Published this month:
- ON THE MONEY Best and worst travel price comparison sites revealed – and it’s bad news for GoCompare
- RED HOT Virgin Atlantic Cyber Monday deal is its £1 ‘Golden Ticket’ – here’s how you can get one
- RACE ROW Princess Cruises slammed over ‘blatant racism’ after it used ‘fake Maoris’ to greet guests in New Zealand
- BRICK DAY OUT Legoland tickets are just £15 if you go before Christmas – but you have to get tickets TODAY
- PAW-SOME Ryanair, British Airways and Eurostar among winners as Peta launches first ever awards for cruelty-free travel
- SALE AWAY Royal Caribbean Black Friday sale includes 60% off cruises with 7-night trips from less than £300pp
- RY-TE ON Ryanair’s Cyber Week sale ends TODAY with £20 off return flights across Europe
- NEIGH WAY Horse is spotted on passenger plane – and some people are NOT happy
- SHIPSHAPE Best cruise ships of 2019 include Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Marella
- HOT STUFF Air New Zealand launches coffee cups you can EAT after finishing your drink
- RIDE ON Abu Dhabi’s Ferrari World beats Disney to win world’s best theme park award
- FEE HIKE Brits could end up paying an extra £10 for each package holiday after Thomas Cook collapse
- RYAN-FARE Ryanair has extended its sale with £9.99 flights across Europe – but you have to book by tonight
- FLIGHTMARE Southwest Airlines cabin crew ‘threatens to kick Muslim mum off flight after she asks to sit with family’
- FARE DOS How to find incredibly cheap flights anywhere through apps, price alerts and mistake fares
- STRIKES ON French strikes – Latest on easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways flight cancellations
- SEATBACK & RELAX Plane seats with padded ‘privacy panels’ that double as a headrest could finally make flying economy comfortable
- MEG-A BLING Meghan Markle’s New York baby shower hotel launches £190k Christmas package with private ice rink and helicopter rides
- DELAY PAIN Worst Christmas getaway airport for delays is London Stansted – here are the other ones to avoid
- RY-UNFAIR Ryanair rejects almost 100% of compensation claims – but here’s how you can improve your chances
- RAILLY BAD French strikes – More Eurostar services cancelled to France, Belgium and the Netherlands this week
- ELECTRIFYING Butlin’s is launching a stunning new live show featuring circus and dance acts next year
- EASY SAVING EasyJet’s Flexi fare can help you beat the school holiday price hike – here’s how
- THAT’S A WRAP How airlines fix damaged planes with ‘speed tape’ – and it’s perfectly safe
- SPILL THEIR GUTS Cruise staff reveal how passengers can avoid norovirus on ships – and how to tell how bad an outbreak is
- BUTTON IT The new button in the cockpit that means even PASSENGERS could land a plane
- CLOSE CALL How buying two set of flights at the same time can save you money
- GOOGLE IT Google’s 2019 Year in Search reveal Venice, Krakow and Berlin are the most popular city break destinations for Brits
- JET OFF EasyJet launches flights to Tunisia – first time since the 2015 Sousse massacre
- KID YOU NOT Legoland are giving away free park tickets on election day – here’s how you can get them
- RYAN-FARE Ryanair launches flash sale with 25% off flights – and cheapest start from £4.99
- LUCKY FOR SOME Friday the 13th is the cheapest day to fly thanks to superstitious holidaymakers
- OUT OF THIS WORLD You can now stay in a Star Wars-style hostel with ‘space pods’ for beds – and it’s perfect for families
- HOLIDAYS ARE COMING Best holidays under £100 you can give as Christmas gifts including UK glamping breaks and spa esapes
- ALL EARS Five tips for first time Disney World visitors including the special badge that gets you extra perks
- FLYAWAY New destinations you can visit in 2020 with Ryanair, easyJet, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic
- WHALE OF A TIME You can get paid £20k to spot whales and dolphins in Scotland
- YACHT LIFE Best superyachts in the world featuring swimming pools, helipads and even an IMAX on board
- RED HOT Virgin Atlantic’s massive winter sale includes return flights from just £235
- BLACK TUESDAY French strikes – easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways cancel more flights
- AIR-SMR JetBlue releases bizarre ASMR video of airport sounds to help passengers relax
- BOG STANDARD Planes could get much bigger toilets – and they’re accessible for disabled passengers too
- HIGH LIFE Etihad’s The Residence – dubbed world’s most expensive plane ticket – comes with a double bed, shower and even a butler
- BA-RGAIN British Airways kicks off January Sale two weeks early with £99 holidays and long haul flights from under £300
- THE UPSIDE DEN You can now stay in a Stranger Things-themed Airbnb for £56 a night
- DE-VICE Don’t use the hotel phone charger as it could ruin the batteries on your device
- IN HOT WATER You can now sue an airline if you’re scalded by hot drinks during a flight
- CABIN CHIC Carnival Cruises’ tricks for making cabins look and feel bigger that you can try at home
- LOVE A DEAL Best deals in Loveholidays Christmas sale with up to 40% off holidays – and deposits start from just £25pp
- EASY BARGAIN EasyJet’s Christmas sale includes 20% off flights and £200 off beach holidays
- MAGIC DEAL Book a Disneyland Paris break from just £199pp in Boxing Day sale
- SINGLE DUTCH Holland WON’T exist anymore as country officially ‘rebrands’ as the Netherlands – costing over £170k
- FAMILY S-TRIP Alton Towers hotel is being taken over by nudists for a clothing-free weekend for families
- LITTLE GETAWAY Where is Little Women filmed? US locations revealed including the house that inspired the original book
- TOE MUCH Worst air passengers of 2019 including disgusting man who dried ‘sweaty socks’ using plane vents
- WORST CASE SCENARIO TV host Gayle King left with ‘no clothes’ after Alaska Airlines checks her bags to wrong airport
- CHOCTASTIC Slovenian ‘chocolate village’ with free wine and treats is every chocoholic’s dream holiday
- PLANE CRAZY Idiot tourist asks British embassy to buy him new ticket home as plane food was so bad on his outbound flight