the zeppelin weekly times...the zeppelin weekly times wednesday 16 december 2015 the professional...

Wednesday 16 December 2015

Top 10 destinations for adventurous AussiesYou’re going on a holiday. Do you want…

(A) A serviced hotel room in the main part of town and relaxed day trips to local landmark locations, maybe a bit of shopping for key ring souvenirs, a peaceful time

OR

(B) A place that is jam-packed with hair-raising excitement, action and thrills, unforgettable memories and experiences to last a lifetime

Well, your answer is obviously (B), but where do you go?

Thanks to Roy Morgan, we’ve got all the juicy details, right here, ready to help adventurous Aussies like yourselves looking to go on the action-packed trip of a lifetime.

To start with, there are a few tips about where to look.

First and foremost, go international. Aussies travelling abroad are twice as likely to participate in adventure activities than their domestic-holidaying counterparts, according to the study, but some international destinations are more adventure-packed than others…

Don’t tease yourself anymore! Here are the top ten holiday destinations that are sure to satiate your inner adventurer.

Hint, hint – number 1 is closer to home than you might think.

10. United Kingdom9. Malaysia8. United States7. Singapore6. Thailand5. Bali4. South Pacific3. Canada2. Mexico, Central America, South America

And number one?1. NEW ZEALAND! Attracting 284,000 holidaying Aussies each year, NZ is the third-most popular overseas destination for Australians, but attracts the highest proportion of adrenalin junkies.

And it all comes down to two specific locations, making it easy to pinpoint and map out your NZ adventure holiday:

Queenstown – with everything from bungy jumping to white-water rafting, rock-climbing to zip-line rides and skydiving, it truly has earned its title of “adventure capital of the world of the world”

Wellington – hot-air ballooning, quad biking and its very own “Adrenaline Forest”, NZ’s capital isn’t lacking in adventurous options either.

The Professional Centre, Suite 1, 189 Ashmore Road, Benowa, Gold Coast QLD 4217Phone: (07) 555 79 888 | Free Call: 1300 786 888 Email: [email protected] | Website: www.zt.com.au Facebook: www.facebook.com/zeppelintravel

The Zeppelin Weekly Times

Aussie travellers head to Cuba, MongoliaCuba, South Korea and Taiwan will top the list of destinations for Australian travellers in 2016, according to an analysis of flight searches.

Australians considering an overseas holiday next year will also be looking at Mongolia and Norway, Skyscanner Australia predicts.The list of destinations is based on countries

that have recorded strong and increasing interest among people using the global search engine.

Searches related to Cuba, which will also be getting more American tourists following the lifting of a US travel ban, increased by 94 per cent in 2015.

“After analysing millions of flight search data from the past three years, it is really interesting to see these new and exciting destinations such as Cuba and Mongolia on this list of upcoming favourites,” Skyscanner Australia and New Zealand spokeswoman Emily Callahan said in a statement.

Domestically, Uluru, Hobart and Proserpine in

The Zeppelin Weekly TimesWednesday 16 December 2015


Queensland’s Whitsundays topped the list.Predicted top international destinations for Aussies in 2016:

1. Cuba2. South Korea3. Taiwan4. India5. Sri Lanka6. Mongolia7. Norway8. Samoa9. Japan10. Philippines Predicted top domestic destinations for Aussies in 2016:

1. Uluru2. Hobart3. Proserpine4. Launceston5. Adelaide

This Week in Cruise: Cruise Industry Gears Up for 2017

With the year winding down, the cruise industry is looking ahead. This week several major cruise lines opened bookings on 2017 cruises, with more announcing new itineraries for that year.

Silversea has announced it will offer two new Grand Voyages set to circumnavigate South America in 2017. Guests on the “Circle South America” itineraries will enjoy a crossing of the Panama Canal, two days cruising

Chile’s fjords, a two- or three-day stopover in Rio de Janeiro, as well as multi-day calls in Buenos Aires and Callao (gateway to Lima and Machu Picchu). The itinerary will last 63 days, departing January 16, 2017, onboard Silver Spirit, and last 66 days, departing October 13, 2017, onboard the line’s newest ship, Silver Muse.

Also this week Hurtigruten announced it will expand the adventure cruise itineraries in its Explorer Program for 2017 to encompass four ships (up from two in 2015) sailing expedition voyages.

Hurtigruten’s Arctic program will stretch to the Newfoundland and Labrador provinces of Canada, adding to the current roster of Spitsbergen, Iceland and Greenland. Additionally, guests will be able to explore Greenland’s Kangertittivaq or Scoresby (the longest fjord in the world), and an Amazon River voyage will explore the rainforest of Brazil. There will also be chances to stop at

Argentina, Chile, Peru and Ecuador.

This week Ponant opened reservations on its summer 2017 cruise season, which offers nearly 50 itineraries in the Arctic, Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Baltic.

All cruises are accompanied by guides, naturalists, experts or lecturers depending on the destination. Guests can also enjoy an open bar and, for a limited time, the line is offering an early booking offer of up to 30 percent off the brochure fare through the Ponant Bonus program. The cruise line has also developed pre- and post-cruise programs to complement each itinerary.

In river cruise news, AmaWaterways also opened 2017 bookings this week. The 2017 season will see the debut of a new ship, the AmaKristina, new Europe and Asia itineraries and 30 percent more wine-themed sailings.


New Cruise Ship Guide for 2016



Seven new cruise ships are set to launch in 2016, according to a list compiled by CruiseCritic.com. From Holland America Line’s new Koningsdam to Seabourn Cruise Line’s Seabourn Encore, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about the new vessels.

Holland America Line -- KoningsdamSet to launch in April 2016, Koningsdam will homeport at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, FL, sailing seven- to 11-day Caribbean voyages from November 2016 through March 2017. Beginning in November, the ship will offer nine-, 10- and 11-day Caribbean itineraries. A seven-day and nine-day holiday cruise departs on December 23 and December 30, respectively. The ship’s longer cruises showcase more ports in the region and include lesser-visited islands such as Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Jamaica, Martinique and St. Lucia. Two different seven-day itineraries offer six departures in January and February 2017. The first calls at Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Half Moon Cay, Holland America Line’s private Bahamian island. The second route visits Half Moon Cay, Grand Cayman, Mexico and Key West, FL.

In terms of amenities, the ship will offer a new BLEND winemaking program in collaboration with Washington State winery Chateau Ste. Michelle. Entertainment experiences will range from The Music Walk complex, which will include B.B. King’s Blues Club and the Lincoln Center Stage, to a new theater venue, The World Stage. The new ship’s Culinary Arts Center will offer farm-to-table dinners, and accommodations will range from solo to family cabins.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line –- Ovation of the SeasThe third ship in Royal Caribbean’s Quantum class, the Ovation of the Seas will also launch in April 2016, homeporting in Sydney for the winter 2016-2017 season. Tech-focused onboard amenities will range from high speed Wi-Fi to the Ripcord by iFLY skydiving experience, the North Star aerial observatory, which offers 360-degree views more than 90 meters above the sea, and the Bionic Bar, where guests can place orders via tablet and

watch as two bionic arms create a mixture in tune to the resident DJ without any human assistance.

The ship will also offer the Two70⁰ lounge, which gives guests the chance to enjoy 270-degree ocean view by day and a multimedia entertainment experience by night. In the SeaPlex indoor sports and entertainment complex, guests can enjoy bumper cars, a basketball court, roller skating and a circus school.

Viking Ocean Cruises –- Viking SeaThe second ocean-ongoing vessel from Viking, Viking Sea is also set to launch in April 2016. Like its sibling ship, the Viking Star, the ship will offer The Kitchen Table hands-on cooking experience, complimentary beer and wine at lunch and dinner, and some complimentary shore excursions.

Carnival Cruise Line -- Carnival Vista

The newest ship from Carnival Cruise Line will set sail in May 2016, offering a schedule of European cruises through October. Following a transatlantic crossing, Carnival Vista will operate a pair of voyages from New York in November 2016 and then launch year-round Caribbean departures from Miami later that month.

When it debuts Carnival Vista will be the largest ship in the line’s fleet, offering a variety of features, including a suspended cycling experience called SkyRide, the line’s first on-board brewery and the first IMAX Theatre on a cruise ship. Several unique stateroom options, including the new Family Harbor accommodations and the Havana staterooms and suites, will be included as well.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line -- Harmony of the SeasThe third ship in Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class, Harmony of the Seas will also be the largest


New Cruise Ship Guide for 2016



in Royal Caribbean’s fleet when it sets sail in July 2016.

The ship will include the Splashaway Bay interactive aqua park for kids, plus several amenities incorporated from the line’s Quantum class, such as the Bionic Bar, Virtual Balconies in many interior staterooms offering sea and port views, WOWBands with RFID technology and the high-speed VOOM Internet at sea service. Additionally, it will offer Grease as a new, full-blown Broadway production.

For dining, guests can enjoy specialty restaurants Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, Sabor Taqueria and Tequila Bar, and Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine.

The ship will sail its inaugural summer season in Europe on seven-night Western Mediterranean itineraries calling on Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Provence, France; Florence/Pisa, Rome and Naples, Italy. In November 2016, Harmony will arrive at its homeport of Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, offering seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises -- Seven Seas ExplorerIn terms of luxury cruises, the Seven Seas Explorer will be the largest in Regent’s ship when it launches in July 2016. Accommodations on the all-suite, all-balcony ship will range from the top-tier Penthouse Suites to the Cape Cod-inspired Concierge Suites to the Superior Suites.

Situated on deck five, the Canyon Ranch SpaClub will debut a selection of treatments developed by Canyon Ranch in partnership with lifestyle and beauty experts Red Flower, premiering exclusively on Seven Seas Explorer before expanding across the fleet. Regent’s signature steakhouse, Prime 7, will be aboard the new ship along with other restaurants, including Compass Rose and La Verada. Compass Rose will act as the ship’s main dining room, and Italian inspired dishes will be served at La Veranda using buffet-

style during the day. At dinner La Veranda will become Sette Mari at La Veranda and will expose guests to a fine dining experience. The ship will also offer the line’s first culinary center, the Culinary Arts Kitchen.

Seabourn Cruise Line -- Seabourn EncoreModeled after Seabourn’s Odyssey-class ships and designed by leading hospitality designer

Adam D. Tihany, the all-suite ship will be configured with one additional deck, new expanded public areas and is expected to carry 600 guests. In addition, every suite will have a private veranda.

The ship, which is set to sail in December 2016, will also include a new restaurant from Thomas Keller.


Hasty airport firefighters spray foam on wrong planeWhen eight airport fire engines with sirens blaring rushed to extinguish an aircraft engine fire, they ended up spraying foam on the wrong plane, delaying its take-off by 10 hours.

The extraordinary blunder at Fuzhou City Airport in southern China was revealed by China’s Xinhua news agency and was picked up by other outlets around the world.

The episode began with reports of a possible fire in the right-hand-side engine of an Air China B737-800 flight taxiing for take-off. With commendable speed, eight fire trucks sped onto the runway within minutes and began spraying a Fuzhou Airlines aircraft with foam – only for the control tower to inform them they were spraying the wrong plane. As a result, the Air China aircraft, which was about to take off when the problem was spotted, spent some time unattended.By the time the fire crews turned their attention to the correct aircraft, the Fuzhou Airlines aircraft was smothered in foam. It had to be evacuated and its take-off was delayed by 10 hours.

The Air China flight, a Boeing 737-800 headed to Beijing, reported smoke, sparks and possible fire in the right engine. When the firefighters arrived four minutes later its engines had been switched off.

Spotting the Fuzhou Airlines plane, an aircraft of the same type, with exhaust fumes coming from its tail, firefighters mistakenly headed

straight for it, the airport explained in a statement.

“The firefighters sprayed the Fuzhou Airlines plane with foam until the airport’s control centre alerted them to the mistake, and then they sprayed the right plane,” the statement

said.

The blunder closed the airport for 90 minutes and delayed 30 flights.



How Twitter carried the Xinhua news

the zeppelin weekly times...the zeppelin weekly times wednesday 16 december 2015 the professional...

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