Only two weeks ago I wrote about how the airfare is rising and it’s likely going to be quite expensive to travel around the holidays. Now, we get to add another layer of crap onto our airline experience because the US Department of Transportation has just taken away, even more, consumer protections for fliers.

What the Department of Transportation has Taken Away.

A few days before the rule we’re covering here was supposed to go live, it was delayed. The DoT pushed back the implementation of this rule until February 1, 2027. This wasn’t reported on until the day the rule was supposed to go live, October 19^th, because the DoT quietly published the rule in the Federal Register on October 15^th; making no other remarks in public about it. Although the rule has been delayed, it will still be implemented next year, so we’re still going to cover it.

In July, the Department of Transportation rolled back a consumer protection rule that required airlines to un-hide the hidden fees, following a court ruling on procedural grounds. This includes things like change fees, checked bag fees, carry on fees, seat-choice fees, and more. Now, the price you see when shopping for tickets is not always the price you will eventually pay. Airlines seem happy to have these fees hidden again. In 2024, three of the biggest airlines made well over one billion dollars each on these fees. Yes, one billion. Each. In one year. Allowing the airlines to hide these fees again isn’t even the policy change that prompted this article, but I’m going to take address it regardless.

According to analysis by NetVoucherCodes, a UK based company that focuses on helping customers save money through coupon links (they are akin to Rakuten) and data analysis, 100% of US based airlines charge hidden fees. According to the report, the most egregious offender of the hidden fees is Frontier, adding 376% on top of their base ticket price. Spirit airlines was even higher, at 736%, and we all saw how that turned out.

A DoT Rule can have drastic imapcts on our travel. This chart from from Net Voucher Codes shows their breakdown of how many air carriers charge hidden fees to customers.

Lest you think, I’m sure that the larger, non-budget, carriers don’t really do this. No, they do it too.

Delta increases their final ticket price by 158% over base fare, while United increases it 122%, and American by 95%. The lowest percentage markup is from Southwest at 42%.

We were close to having a world where we would see most, if not all, of these fees rolled into the public price. That day may still come, but it has been punted into the future by the Department of Transportation and the federal courts. That ruling on procedural grounds, by the way, was a determination by the courts that the DOT, in 2024, did not allow the public adequate time to comment before implementing the rule.

The current regulatory environment sets the airlines up to more easily capture extra revenue from all of us from these fees. There doesn’t seem to be any other way to look at it either. The regulators, in my opinion, are taking an anti-consumer stance. Even if the only effect on customers is that we now have to spend more time going deeper into the checkout process or doing more mental math, it still makes it a worse experience for all of us.

Even More Consumer Protections Lost

What I’m covering today is that even more consumer protections that were set to go into effect have been rolled back. These rules changes were published on September 3^rd and went into effect on October 19^th. The Department of Transportation published an amendment to the final rule (linked above). What they changed in the final rule was removing a proposed suite of protections to make flight cancellations less expensive for you, the customer. Under the plan, you would have received $200-$775 per passenger in forms of cash compensation for airline-controlled disruptions. It would also have required the airlines to cover hotel, rebooking, and even meals as a result of these disruptions.

To give you some idea of the scale of this, over the last year, almost one quarter of flights by US Carriers were delayed, meaning that is was 15 or more minutes late. Furthermore, almost 7% of all flights experienced carrier delays. Of delayed flights, carrier caused delays were the most common reason for a delay at just shy of a 30% share. That means that if your flight is delayed, it’s a near one in three chance that the delay was attributable to the airline.

It’s these delays that the changes are most likely to affect. However, we don’t know what the knock-on effects of this policy change will be not only in the current delays, but also the corporate culture changes that may occur when liability is taken away from the companies.

What Are The Changes

Here’s the Department of Transportation’s official list of what the airlines will no longer be required to provide compensation for.

1. An aircraft that must be cleaned following the death of a passenger.
2. An aircraft is damaged by extreme weather, foreign object debris or sabotage.
3. A baggage or cargo loading delay is caused by an outage of a bag system that isn’t controlled by an airline or one of its contractors.
4. A cyberattack causes the disruption and the airlines are in compliance with federal cybersecurity regulations.
5. A shutdown or system failure of government systems occurs that directly affects the ability of an airline to safely conduct flights and that is not expected.
6. A plane’s brakes are overheated due to a safety incident in which emergency procedures were used.
7. Unscheduled maintenance that must be addressed before the next flight is necessary.
8. An emergency requiring medical attention that the airline has no control over occurs.
9. An unruly passenger must be removed from a flight.
10. An airport closes due to volcanic ash, wind or wind shear.

If any delay is categorized into these ten causes, the airline will not have to pay compensation. That means that you’re on the hook for any costs associated with the flight being canceled or delayed for these reasons. Since I try to be very factual in my work, even while having some fun, I want to recognize that airlines may voluntarily compensate you for delays or inconveniences, this rule doesn’t stop that from happening, but the previously proposed rule would have required it.

How Will This Affect Me?

This rule’s ability to impact your flight and compensation is pretty critical, so we’re going to take the time to go over this and discuss how  each item could influence your experience.

1. An aircraft that must be cleaned following the death of a passenger.

This seems fairly reasonable at face value. A passenger dying on an airline is going to cause delays, among other things. Not that the delays are likely the most important thing at that moment, but they will still happen. There aren’t detailed statistics on the number of deaths on airplanes each year outside of fatal crashes, so I don’t have any data to show you regarding how often things like this happen. This does happen though and, if it happens on a flight that you are connecting with, you’ll be on the hook for any disruptions you experience.

2. An aircraft is damaged by extreme weather, foreign object debris or sabotage.

Once again, this sounds mostly reasonable. The airline is not at-fault for hail hitting the plane, which makes some sense. However, the foreign object is a bit more of a question mark for me. What if the foreign object was a piece of something used by the ground crew that broke off. What if that object broke because of poor maintenance by the airline? What if something was left unsecured and damaged the plane when the engines started? I know the airlines don’t want these things to happen, but if they do and they would reasonably be concluded to have been, even if only in part, the fault of the airline, why is the customer bearing the burden of that failure? Once you look at it, this item has too much wiggle room for my taste.

This new DoT Rule is shaping the air travel industry toward a less consumer friendly position.

3. A baggage or cargo loading delay is caused by an outage of a bag system that isn’t controlled by an airline or one of its contractors.

If you’ve never thought too hard about exactly how your bag makes it through the airport and who is tasked with caring for it, you’re not alone. I imagine most people haven’t thought about this. The answer to who is responsible for your luggage ultimately rests with the airline, but who is responsible for the handling of checked bags at an airport has variation.

Much of the time, the airline is responsible for hiring the baggage handlers or contracting with a company that handles the bags in the airport and gets them onto the planes. In some cases, the airport may hire the staff directly. If the airline has issues with the bag system in the airport and it delays the plane, they might not have to compensate you.

The key here is the “isn’t controlled by an airline or one of its contractors.”

Much of this new DoT rule comes down to the fine print of what part controls what. It makes it less likely that consumers will be compensated when something goes wrong.

If this is the reason given for the delay, the airline has room to blame parts of the baggage system that they don’t control. If the conveyers the bags travel on are controlled by the airport, for example, they could be blamed for the delay in loading bags on the plane and mean that you aren’t compensated when your flight is behind schedule.

This is, again, another way that airlines are being given room to shift blame to parties that remove liability from them.

4. A cyberattack causes the disruption and the airlines are in compliance with federal cybersecurity regulations.

This rule means that if an airline suffers an attack on it’s computer systems but it’s in compliance with federal cybersecurity regulation, then it is not responsible for compensating passengers. I have a lot of opinions on this. Well-informed opinions.

In recent years, the federal government realized that it needed to do better with cybersecurity regulations and legislators acted in accordance. In 2018 the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency or CISA was created by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act of 2018. To be fair, this wasn’t the first time that a centralized digital protection service existed. The current agency began as the National Protection and Programs Directorate or NPPD, back in 2007.

The 2018 reorganization gave CISA significant power to create and enforce security standards, which it was doing. It didn’t just do this in a vacuum either, it had the Cybersecurity Advisory Committee which had members from many different walks of life. Mayors, CEOs, university chancellors, professors, and directors of emergency management agencies all found themselves working with CISA to guide them on implementing policies.

Quite frankly, I don’t trust the current cybersecurity standards to be rigorous enough to support this new DoT rule.

However, CISA has been weakened since 2025 by layoffs and dismantling of the organization. It’s in such a sorry state that this last May, it was discovered that they left open up a massive security vulnerability. So when I’m told that the airlines won’t need to compensate customers if they are in compliance with federal cybersecurity regulations and suffer a cyberattack, I can’t help but question if those standards are enough.

Keep in mind, cyberattacks on airlines and airports are increasing. The idea that a cyber attacker could cripple an airline or airport is not some fanciful tale, it is reality. In 2025, Kuala Lumpur International Airport was brought down for over 10 hours by ransomware. Airlines including United and Hawaiian have publicly been targeted by cyber attackers. Most of these attacks haven’t been successful, but from 2024 to 2025, the European Aviation Safety Agency reported a 600% rise in cyberattacks on airports and airlines, so the bad actors aren’t giving up.

5. A shutdown or system failure of government systems occurs that directly affects the ability of an airline to safely conduct flights and that is not expected.

Government systems could be anything from TSA scanning devices to air traffic controller communication equipment. These elements are often very much out of the airline companies’ control, that is true. I certainly don’t want to fly if, say, radar isn’t working. You’re still going to be in a tough spot, though.

I agree that things like radar and ATC systems need to be working for a safe flight.

6. A plane’s brakes are overheated due to a safety incident in which emergency procedures were used.

If you’re thinking, this sounds very specific, you would be correct. Situations like this are quite rare and what it means is that the plane has done something where they have to land either overweight or in a less-than-controlled manor, leading to the breaks overheating and either having to be replaced or cooled off. If this leads to cancellations or delays down the schedule, regardless of fault, the passengers may be on the hook for any issues that come from it.

Now, this is again about safety, which is always paramount but, I want you to keep this one in the back of your mind for a few minutes because we’re going to come back to it.

7. Unscheduled maintenance that must be addressed before the next flight is necessary.

“Unscheduled maintenance” is a far too broad category for me to like it in this context. To illustrate, let me paint a picture for you. This could mean that an airplane’s computer isn’t working and it can’t take off or even start up. That’s a pretty good reason for a delay. That exact scenario happened to me a few years ago. They had to swap out the computer and almost had to swap jets; there were many hours of delay.

This new DoT rule allows airlines to blame unscheduled maintenance when something goes wrong and not compensate you.

Now, that sort of thing could be completely unexpected, things happen and you can’t predict everything. However, it could also be that the pilots had been logging issues steadily and the airline hadn’t scheduled the plane for the proper maintenance and now the plane is delayed unexpectedly.

Yet again, this is a blackhole of interpretation that the airlines could use to avoid compensating passengers when something goes wrong.

8. An emergency requiring medical attention that the airline has no control over occurs.

How this is defined will be a huge key factor. A heart attack is something they have no control over, but if an older person falls over and breaks a bone because of turbulence, is that out of the airline’s control? I would say the airline bears little responsibility in that scenario in most cases but, context is everything. The more questions there are, though, the more wiggle room there is for the company not to pay something to passengers that have their travel disrupted.

9. An unruly passenger must be removed from a flight.

Unruly passengers are always popular to cover in various travel articles. There are tons of videos, some fairly famous, of people having meltdowns on planes. Sometimes it’s anger issues, other times it’s mental illness, but often it is alcohol that is a leading cause of these situations.

Airlines have a responsibility, at least in my opinion, to not overserve passengers and not allow inebriated passengers to board. They do often reject passengers that are intoxicated, but it’s still a problem and this new DoT rule gives the airline an out if it happens.

Airlines have to deal with drunken passengers more often than you might realize. Quite often, those passengers were inebriated when they got on the plane, so it isn’t entirely the airline’s doing. Consider, though, if the airline keeps serving the passenger alcohol and they become unruly, wouldn’t that give the airline at least some culpability? Not according to these new rules, it seems.

If a passenger gets overserved and starts throwing up or hitting people, it’s a problem that the airline must deal with now. Sometimes, that means duck taping passengers to their seats. Sometimes that means an emergency landing. Maybe that landing leads to overheated brakes. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if the behavior was caused by alcohol that was served on the plane or on the ground before the flight, the passenger was let on the plane or served more alcohol when, arguably, they shouldn’t have been and now, you’re on the hook for the delay.

10. An airport closes due to volcanic ash, wind or wind shear.

Yes, I do agree, a volcano or wind closing an airport is out of the hands of airlines.

The Real Problem Is What To Do In The Moment

In my mind, several of these items seem reasonable, the rest are far too open ended. The problem isn’t really how much responsibility the airline actually has, though, it’s dealing with what is happening in the moment.

Take, for example, a cyber-attack. If hackers take down an airline’s booking systems and the gate agent cannot scan tickets, in that moment, to you the passenger, it doesn’t matter whether the airline was in compliance with regulations or not, you’re still stuck. It could take months to figure out if an airline was in compliance or not, but you need a hotel now. You don’t have time to wait for fault to be determined, the problem exists in the moment.

That’s the issue at heart here. The old rules were in place to protect and care for consumers when things go wrong. Customers won’t spend weeks, months, or years, trying to get reimbursed for expenses that they technically should have been compensated for. By requiring airlines to pay passengers in the moment that disruption happens, it incentivized airlines to work diligently to avoid those situations and ensured passengers have hotel rooms or money to get one.

Those protections are out the window now. Instead, customers will have to fight for compensation and argue with customer service agents. We’ve all lost protections we had because of these rule changes and it sucks. Even if some of these changes seem reasonable, I doubt you will feel that way if these things happen to you. I’ve flown too many times to believe that people remain completely calm and level headed when their flight is delayed or cancelled. That’s especially true if it’s because of “unexpected maintenance.”

What Can You Do?

Perhaps it sounds quaint right now, but you can call or write to your representative in Congress. Ostensibly, they have the power to change the requirements of the regulatory bodies and pass laws to protect us. Letting them know how you feel doesn’t protect your travel in the moment, though.

The best thing you can do if you’re traveling is get some travel insurance. A travel insurance policy can protect you from delayed or cancelled flights, missed bookings at hotels or cruises, and make sure you don’t face a huge loss if something goes wrong.

Yes, things usually do go the way they are suoosed to when you’re traveling, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take steps to protect yourself and let those in power know they need to protect us.

I don’t want you to get the feeling that I’m here to sell you on buying another thing by fear mongering, I’m not. The truth about travel is that the VAST majority of the time, everything goes right and you get to where you need to be, when you need to be there. If it didn’t work that way, then people would get pretty fed up pretty quickly. Things do go wrong, though, and now there are fewer rights that protect you so, you might want to take a step to protect yourself.

If you’re taking a flight somewhere and are wondering how to get that travel insurance, we’ve got you covered. As you might have guessed we are a travel agency and if you are looking to book a trip to a resort, take a cruise, or just get away for a few days we can help with that! Each year we book hundreds of vacations for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates and discounts for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far far away.

The post New DoT Rule Makes Air Travel Worse for the Customer appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Disney Believe Announcement

Just last week, Disney made a big announcement about their upcoming ship in the Wish-class, Disney Believe. This will be the fourth ship in the class with one more Wish class expected in 2029. While that 2029 ship is set to operate in Japan, opening Disney to a whole new market, the Believe is playing it safe by starting out with 4- and 5-night sailings in the Caribbean. While this isn’t exactly a bold beginning, and there are online grumblings about the rather staid itinerary, this isn’t really a bad thing. Keeping the brand-new ship close to home gives the company plenty of time to give it a long shake-down. Every ship comes with some quirks and being near territory with plenty of support helps to ease that process.

Disney announced that operations on the Believe will begin in December 2027, with sales opening on October 19^th of 2026, so just over a week away at time of writing. The company spent quite a bit of time in the announcement going over the theming for the Believe. While that might be an odd choice of emphasis for other lines, it makes a lot of sense for DCL. After all, if you’re going on a Disney Cruise, you are there for the theming.

The Grand Hall in the center of the ship is going for a Moana theme this time around, something already shown at this year’s D23 convention, which we covered when it happened. There’s plenty of new information released too.

This is the Grand Hall on New Disney Ship, The Disney Believe. It Features Moana Theming.

For Entertainment, they are debuting an Encanto Musical which will be exclusive to the Believe. The show already has some buzz around it, featuring hit Lin-Manuel songs from the astoundingly popular film. Parents, be warned, if you only recently stopped not talking about Bruno, sailing on the Believe will make you start not talking about Bruno all over again. They are also bringing the popular Tangled and Disney Seas the Adventure stage shows from the other lines.

Character encounters and trivia, because what is a cruise ship if not a floating trivia game, will take place in an entertainment area themed to Zootopia. Operating under the name “Gazelle”, it will include the first on-ship appearances of Judy and Nick as meetable characters. The space will also host some evening activities for adults, like a silent disco as well as some fan-favorite activities being brought on from other ships.

Guests will be able to dine at a new Frozen experience set at Oaken’s which, Disney made clear, is a new story rather than a repeat of the Wish’s Arendelle Dining Adventure. For anyone who might be confused about the phrase, “new story,” and dinner being next to each other, I will explain. The Wish class ships all have a dinner and a show style restaurant on them and, on the Believe, the show will be a second story set withing the world of Frozen. Other restaurants on The Believe will be the 1923 and Marvel dining rooms that exist on other ships in the line, as well as some smaller venues like two new cafes, Big Hero Sips and Café Kakamora.

The Sea Notes Piano Bar on the New Disney Ship, The Disney Believe.

For adults, they will have Sea Notes, a Little Mermaid themed Piano Bar, Wishing Well for Snow White theming, and the Haunted Mansion Parlor, a very popular bar that is already on the Treasure and the Destiny. Disney drew some modest ire from fans who were hoping for some new theming for these spaces.

Overall, we felt like Disney announced a lot of new things for the Believe that didn’t really feel all that new or distinct for the line. On a line where you are expecting deep theming, where many of their clientele want to sail all the different ships to see the different settings, most of the dining was largely similar, and I didn’t feel like there was much that makes the Believe stand out amongst its sister ships. Nothing bad, but nothing amazing. She should still be a solid addition of the Disney Cruise Line fleet, it just feels like a missed opportunity.

Queen Anne Leaving Cunard

To the surprise of, well, most people who follow these sorts of things, Cunard has recently announced that they will be moving the brand-new Queen Anne out of the Cunard fleet and over to P&O Cruises. Both lines are owned by Carnival Corporation, so this is akin to an internal transfer.

Formal Night on Cunard Ships is the Sort of Thing Their Customers Love. Image credit Cunard.

If you are unfamiliar with P&O Cruises, it’s likely because, like me, you’re an American. While they are not well known to us Yanks, they are fairly well-known in the UK. Similar to Cunard, they are an older brand, which both companies love to boast about. P&O dates back to 1837 which, technically, makes it an older line than Cunard, but that’s a little bit of creative interpretation, since P&O started as a shipping company, but didn’t start doing passenger sailings until 1977. Meanwhile, Cunard loves to tell you about their history dating back to1840 and their merger with the White Star line and that legendary company’s famous ships, like the Oceanic, the Olympic, the Titanic… okay maybe forget that part.

While the move isn’t entirely without some sense, P&O is a very British-y line, they even feature fish and chips on their About Us page, this is a fairly concerning move for the well-being of Cunard as a company.

Cunard just received the Queen Anne in 2024 and it cost them 500 million pounds to build. It was a risky design as the ship was a departure from the style of vessel that Cunard was known for. Cunard loyalists definitely had mixed feelings on the Queen Anne and they ways it differed from the others, but only giving it two years to get its sea-legs seems a little rash.

This move will bring Cunard’s active fleet down from 4 ships to 3, keeping them in the small line category when we thought we were seeing some growth. It’s even more puzzling when you consider the marketing push that the company has made in the last few years. NPR listeners couldn’t get through a broadcast without hearing from the cruise company until somewhat recently.

The Library on The Queen Mary 2 is a Major Draw for Many Guests.

Although no one at any of the companies involved mentioned this, my hope is that Cunard will take another stab at a fourth ship. The Queen Anne was considered, by many of Cunard’s passengers, to be much more contemporary than the line’s other ships, and not in a good way. Cunard sailors are looking for ships that feel more like classic ocean liners, like the Queen Mary, and not like something from Princess or Celebrity. The Queen Anne seemed to venture too far afield from the desire of the customers. With any luck, Cunard will be back here in a few years with a new ship, presumably named The Queen Anne’s Revenge.

This isn’t the end of the Carnival Corporation ship shuffle, though, as P&O cruises is sending one of their ships away to Holland America. The Arcadia, which began operating in 2005 for P&O, was part of a class of vessels originally intended for Holland America. Its sister ships were meant to be the Oosterdam, Noordam, Westerdam, and Zuiderdam. During construction, it was reassigned to Cunard where it was supposed to be the Queen Victora, but that didn’t happen either. Ultimately, it went to P&O and became the Arcadia, but not before picking up a mast featured on all Cunard ships.

The size of the ship does fit with Holland America’s fleet. Which is rather obvious given that Holland America originally ordered it but, the size of HAL’s ships remain closer in capacity and tonnage than other similarly sized cruise fleets. While many lines have moved towards ever larger ships, Holland America stays fairly similar.

It should also be mentioned that the Arcadia will be undergoing a major refit and seeing upgrades as part of Carnival Corporation’s announced $500 million Evolution program announced last April.

Ups and Downs in Cruise Environmental News

Hydrogen power has been touted for some time as a way to reduce greenhouse gases but has come with a lot of logistical and cost issues associated with it. With ships, which are one of the leading greenhouse gas emitters, the idea of hydrogen power has been thrown around a lot.

Well, one of the biggest cruise lines in the world is making the jump into more sustainable cruising with Viking’s investment in hydrogen powered ships that hold around 1,000 guests. Just last March, the Viking Libra became the world’s first hydrogen powered cruise ship to sail, with delivery expected in November. Signaling Viking’s commitment to the brand-new propulsion system, they just did the cord cutting last month on the Libra’s sister ship, the Viking Astrea. While the details on just how much all of this will reduce environmental impacts from the ships remains unknown, especially as it looks to be a hybrid system, it is, nonetheless, a major move in the right direction from one of the biggest players in one of the most polluting industries. Hopefully, this signals more to come.

In tragic environmental news, a second endangered fin whale was found on the prow of a cruise ship in Alaska. This time it was on the Norwegian Joy in Sitka and was an adult male, as opposed to the pregnant female that was hit in Seward earlier this year. This news shows just how much of an environmental impact the travel industry can have, and how important it is for the cruise lines to work with scientists and governments on solutions to avoid these sorts of incidents in the future.

Explora Dips a Toe into River Cruising

Even more companies are getting into the river cruising sector with a recent announcement. Last year, Celebrity announced that they would be moving into River Cruising with an eventual fleet of ten ships. Now there’s another newcomer into the river cruise market since Explora started the ball rolling. A relative newcomer to the cruising world, MSC’s Explora line has been very well received in the luxury cruising market, with their high-end, new ships, and their longer sailing itineraries.

At this point, all we know is that they have signed a letter-of-intent with Den Breejen Shipyard, making a statement at the same time that said:

“Since launching, Explora Journeys has sought to change the way people experience ocean travel through its Ocean State of Mind philosophy — combining the freedom and discovery of travelling by sea with the elegance and refinement of European hospitality and design. The brand now intends to bring that same approach to Europe’s most iconic rivers.

“Further details regarding ship design, onboard experiences, delivery schedules and initial itineraries will be announced in due course with sales planned to open in 2027.”

The Press Release from Explora Journeys on Their New River Ships Deal.

Since river ships are considerably smaller with a much less complicated operation environment than their ocean-faring siblings, a 2027 sales date seems very reasonable, even at this early stage.

If you’re thinking about taking a cruise with any of these lines and are having a hard time keeping up with the changes, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. As you might have guessed we are a travel agency and if you are looking to book a trip to a resort, take a cruise, or just get away for a few days we can help with that! Each year we book hundreds of vacations for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates and discounts for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far, far away.

The post More Details Released On The New Disney Ship appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Smaller Airlines Going Under

Spirit isn’t the only airline collapsing under these economic conditions. Smaller airlines generally don’t have as much wiggle room when it comes to overhead and finances. They often service smaller, less profitable routes, and as a result they are more susceptible to major changes in the market, like the ones we’ve seen in fuel costs. A lot of small, regional airlines, which will often operate under a larger company’s name, have been shutting down over the last six months because of rising costs.

In a sure sign of the stress hitting the airline industry, AirBaltic, the Flag Carrier line of Latvia (yes, the country), has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections in New York. They cited fuel prices doubling since the war with Iran started in late February. That’s not all they cited, though. The airline also highlighted a growing shortage of aircraft engines, which exasperated the debt that it was already carrying.

While AirBaltic isn’t shuttering the whole company like Spirit, it is shrinking its fleet, cancelling orders, and reducing its least profitable routes. It states that by the end of 2026, its fleet of 54 Airbus planes will be brought down 36 by the end of the year. If you have a flight with AirBaltic, however, know that it isn’t cancelling any tickets at this time.

Airfare Prices are going to be impacted by engine shortages, no matter what plane you book your flight on.

As an aside, that engine shortage isn’t new and there’s reporting going back to 2024 on how engine maker Pratt and Whitney is struggling to keep up with demand for new units and repairs among supply chain problems. The engine that they are struggling to keep up with is the Geared TurboFan used widely in the A320 family, the most delivered jet in history. This probable is impacting other lines as well.

A similar state-owned airline, Congo Airways, has been shutdown since 2024 due to debt and, pretty importantly, a lack of safety. While they completely missed their 2025 restart date, they are still trying to restart sometime before the end of the year.

What all these smaller lines shutting down, reducing service, or just not functioning means is that there are less planes filling in those smaller, unprofitable routes. Now, if you’re thinking, “Well, that sounds bad but I don’t fly smaller airlines, I fly the major carriers,” well I wouldn’t get too excited just yet because you probably do and haven’t noticed.

If you’ve ever bought a ticket from a major airline and seen in the small details of the flight, like the number or aircraft type, “this flight serviced by Company-Name-You’ve-Never-Heard-Of-Airlines”, that means a regional company is running the route for the major airline you booked through, and those companies have been folding at an accelerated rate. No matter where you are, all these companies closing the doors is likely to impact you.

FAA Pushing AI

The Federal Aviation Administration has been pushing for an artificial intelligence tool to manage flight scheduling. However, it was only described in the vaguest terms about what it would do and how it would do it, saying it would “offer advice to air traffic controllers”. There was significant industry pushback on the idea of an undefined AI system, called the Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories, or SMART system, telling these companies how air traffic management would be handled. In the last few weeks, there have been a number of long meetings with the FAA, and reporting is that rather than providing any answers, the airline officials were left with more questions.

The primary concern among the airlines is that this AI tool will add an extra layer of noise onto the already understaffed and overwhelmed air traffic controllers that have been the subject of firings and resignations during the various government shutdowns in the last few years.

The folks working in this tower are under a lot of pressure. Technically this is in Bogata, so not really directly impacted by the FAA’s work, but it’s a nice looking tower.

Earlier this month, there was a big meeting between the CEOs of the airline companies and the FAA, which looks to have caused the FAA to quote, “narrow the scope”, of the AI tool down to more of a recommendation system and providing alternative routing options to reduce bottlenecks, rather than being integrated directly into day-to-day traffic management.

It is currently set to be tested out in three airports that serve the Washington DC area.

Holiday Airfare Pricing

For all of you that have been anxiously planning your holiday travel, watching the rising cost of plane tickets, I don’t have great news. While oil prices surged in spring with the Iran War beginning, and then again in the summer, oil prices have broken over $100 a barrel this September. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, airfares from August 2025 compared to last month had risen 23%.

All this is to say, be prepared for a rough holiday travel season. Not only are the smaller regional flights disappearing, but airline executives at the Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference said they were prepared to raise ticket prices and cut less profitable routes going into the holidays in order to offset these increased fuel prices.

Airfare prices are only going up,,,

Executives from across the airline industry are, essentially, saying that prices are going up, availability is decreasing, and demand is staying steady. All of that translates into increased prices in every aspect of travel. Even cheaper flights, those extra fees they tack on for things like checked bags have been increasing. Recently, I personally saw a checked bag fee hit $200 for a single bag on a transatlantic flight.

While we don’t know, for sure, how it’s all going to shake out this season, be prepared to not see prices and fees improve anytime soon.

Are you planning out your holiday travel before things get pricier? Well, as you might have guessed we are a travel agency and if you are looking to book a trip to a resort, take a cruise, or just get away for a few days we can help with that! Each year we book hundreds of vacations for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates and discounts for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far far away.

The post New Airfare Prices are Staggering and the Holiday Outlook is Beak appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Disney World

Back in 2024, Disney announced their plans to expand Magic Kingdom with a whole new land, named “Villain’s Land”. Although the name might be a bit on the nose, Disney villains are quite popular with many fans, so the idea has merit to it. This is slated to include two rides, one themed on the magic mirror and including a large cast of villains, and one focused on Maleficent. Early reporting estimates that this land will be about the same size as the Galaxy’s Edge Star Wars land in Hollywood Studios.

Villains Land is part of the massive Disney updates dropped during D23. Disney Promotional Image owned by Disney

Continuing with the changes in Magic Kingdom, construction has already started where Tom Sawyer Island was in Frontierland. Replacing it is Piston Peak, an area themed around the Cars franchise. A demolition derby ride and a rally ride are expected to be part of this new space. While in Tomorrowland, the Carousel of Progress is getting an update, with the dad being voiced by Bryan Cranston, and the mom by Jamie Lee Curtis. Whether this means any revisions to the dialogue isn’t clear. Perhaps they’ll spice up the script with door knocking discussions or add a brother named Mike to the story.

Piston Peak is part of the enormous Desney updates announced at D23. Disney Promotional Image owned by Disney.

Over in Hollywood Studios, that park recently saw the reimagining of the Rock’n’Roller Coaster to include the Muppets, something that I am looking forward to seeing myself. The area that used to host the famous felt cast has been under construction for a new Monsters, Inc themed area, including two new dining locations, Harryhausen’s and Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza. Replacing Muppetvision 3D will be Welcome to Monstropolis, which will be a similar stage show. They are also bringing a coaster ride based off the Door Vault from the films, which will be Disney’s first “suspended” coaster style ride, that is, the track is above the cars. While parts of the land are set to open in 2027, the coaster, sadly, will not be.

The Monster, Inc. takes over the former Muppet area in the latest Disney updates. Disney Promotional Image owned by Disney.

Moving to Epcot, we are seeing the first update of Spaceship Earth in 20 years, however, there isn’t much information about it yet. These are part of delayed upgrades that were supposed to have happened before COVID. Another update coming to Epcot is that they are reworking Journey Into Imagination with Figment. Their big announcement is that Dreamfinder is coming back from the original 1983 version. While I never got to experience that version, my wife and MANY other Epcot fans are very excited to see his return.

The Tropical Americas area is part of the sweeping Disney updates. Disney Promotional Image owned by Disney

Finally, we come to Animal Kingdom, with another slate of changes announced. Construction is already underway on the Tropical Americas section of the park, which used to be the DinoLand area. As part of those changes two rides are being built. The first is an Encanto themed ride where guests will enter The Casita on the day Antonio receives his gift where they will be taken through the house seeing the events of that day. The other ride is being built where the Dinosaur ride was. This one will be an Indiana Jones ride, similar to the one at Disneyland but with its own story and theming. There is also set to be a carousel ride in the Tropical Americas area with popular animal characters from across Disney’s properties.

The terrifying Yeti in Expedition Everest will move again! Just one more of the huge Disney updates. Disney Promotional Image owned by Disney

There’s Yeti more news, though, because the biggest news is about the Expedition Everest ride. When you’re on that ride, the ominous presence of a Yeti disrupts your journey, and for many visitors that monster has always been limited to shadows, noises, and a statue near the end of the ride. That statue is actually an animatronic Yeti and, when the ride first opened, it would claw at the riders. But the complex figure promptly broke and Disney imagineers permanently disabled its movements. Well, Disney has announced that it is coming back and it will once again move! We’ll see how long that lasts.

Disneyland

Over on the West Coast, Disneyland is seeing some serious changes as well. In California Adventure, they are expanding the Avengers Campus to include two new attractions. Avengers Infinity Defense and the Stark Flight Lab are both set to open in 2028. Additionally, in California Adventure, we are going to see a boat-style ride themed around the movie Coco with a journey through the Land of the Dead. While it’s known that a Pandora area is being built in California Adventure, Disney was surprisingly quiet on that front.

Over in Disneyland, two shows are set to be refurbished 2027, the Magic Happens parade, and the fireworks show Remember … Dreams Come True. They also announced that changes will be coming to Tomorrowland at Disneyland, but were pretty light on the details.

Disney Cruise Line

Finally, some new announcements for Disney Cruise Line. Their newest ship, Disney Believe, is still set to arrive in 2027, with some new details released. The Grand Hall will feature a statue of Moana and her animal companions. They went over some more of the ship’s decoration and aesthetics, but overall, it is expected to be similar to the other ships in the class.

I really like the design for the Believe’s aft that was shown as part of all the Disney updates. Promotional Image owned by Disney.

Their big announcement was the reveal of the next class of DCL ships and they were very, very light on details. Here’s what we know right now:

• They are set to first arrive in 2029
• They will have a lower passenger capacity than the Wish class ships, probably around 3000 passengers.

That’s it. That’s all we know about it. In my opinion, this seems like a very reasonable step to take, with cruise ships hitting capacities of 5, 6, and 7,000 passengers, the trend has become stressful for the crew, the ports, and the passengers as well. I believe that it also creates some fragility in the market, if you can’t fill such a giant ship, the logistics needed to support it risk collapsing. To me, it has felt like an over-expansion like we see so many famous retail brands commit to and then collapse from. So, I am glad to see Disney Cruise Line taking a step back from these megaships.

If any of this news has piqued your interest and made you want to visit one of Disney’s properties, we can help. As you might have guessed we are a travel agency and if you are looking to book a trip to a resort, take a cruise, or just get away for a few days we’ve got you covered! Each year we book hundreds of vacations for individuals, families, and large groups. We’ve got years of experience and firsthand knowledge to make sure you get the best trip possible with support all along the way. Our team of travel professionals can help find and book the best rates and discounts for your trip because it’s our job. So don’t book on your own, use our expertise and book with us so we can help get you, far far away.

The post Big Disney Updates – With A New Ship Class Announced appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

The Evil Twin Attack

This might be one of the most basic and easily executed digital attacks there is and knowing how it works can help protect you from it.

Step 1: Find a place with where people want to access Wi-Fi. This is any place that commonly has a Wi-Fi network available. Coffee shops, cafés, airports, libraries, anything like that will work. Wherever the place is, so long as it has a Wi-Fi network for people to access and a bunch of people wanting to use it, it’s an ideal target.

Step 2: Once the target place is determined, the hacker will physically set up at the location, and this is where the attack begins. The attacker makes their own Wi-Fi network that copies the name of the legitimate network; that means that if the real Wi-Fi network is called Dark Roast Wi-Fi, the hacker will create a second network also called Dark Roast Wi-Fi. This step can be done with almost any device these days, including cellphones, laptops, tablets, and portable routers. The point is, you cannot just look around for a suspicious device and be alerted.

These Evil Twin attacks are so easy to execute, there’s nothing that will look out of place. It’s a very simple Wi-Fi Scam

Step 3: The hacker will try to encourage people to connect to the fake Wi-Fi. This is often done by making the signal stronger by using a more powerful antenna or simply moving closer to someone. By having a stronger signal, people are more likely to connect to that network. It could also force devices to connect to the network automatically if that option is selected on the device (more on this later).

Step 4: Once the fake network is established, the attacker may even go so far as to create a fake credential page. Many Wi-Fi access points ask you to login or register in some way before you use them and people are primed to accept this. This part of the attack is not necessary, but is quite common.

Step 5: Now that the target individual has connected to the fake network and is having their traffic routed through the hacker’s device, everything is vulnerable. The attacker can now monitor all of your traffic, observing everything you do, and possibly injecting malicious software onto your device without you even knowing.

What an Evil Twin Attack Might Look Like

Let’s game out a quick example of how this might play out in the real world.

You’ve been on a Virgin Voyages cruise for that last week, but’s it’s time to head back home. You’ve got a 6PM departure from MIA and there’s nothing to do but wait. You wanted an earlier flight, but those were more expensive and you didn’t mind waiting too much. You settle in at the gate for a bit and figure that you may as well get some work done before you get back to the office, you just know that there’s a pile-up waiting for you.

After grabbing a coffee from the Starbucks and settle in near one of the few available power outlets. Opening up your laptop, you find the airport Wi-Fi, which was a little odd because there were two of them with identical names. You choose the one with the stronger signal and connect to it. It asks you for some basic information, like your email address, first and last name, and birthday.

Now you’re online and you start answering emails and taking care of work. You also check your bank account and make sure that there’s no suspicious charges on your card. You’ve been away after all and you went to some strange restaurants, who knows if someone stole your card number when you handed it to the server. Everything seems fine and you get a jump start on those Monday morning emails. Unfortunately, all that was done through a fake network and you’ve compromised all sorts of information.

How Dangerous is an Evil Twin Wi-Fi Scam?

The reason that I bothered to write up such a banal story as an example is to demonstrate just how simple it is to fall prey to this attack. It’s amazingly simple and it can happen anywhere that Wi-Fi exists as a public access point. I wrote about Carnival Cruise Lines and their associated companies as well as Royal Caribbean and the lines they own all banning routing devices, and this is the exact type of attack I think they fear.

Here’s the bad news, these attacks are potentially quite dangerous. You really need to be vigilant when using Wi-Fi in public.

The good news is that these attacks are fairly easy to avoid if you take a few simple precautions.

Use mobile networks or your own hotspot

If you can, just use the cell network on your phone. This could mean using your cell phone as a hotspot or having your own mobile hotspot device, often called a jetpack. Staying on your own mobile connection will be very secure.

Avoid Unsecure Hotspots

These days, many devices will warn you or make you double check if you connect to an unsecure network. These unsecure networks are very common as Evil Twin attacks. Don’t connect to them.

Yes, these warnings can be frustrating, but they are also actively protecting your computer. Pay attention to them!

Check any warnings

If your computer/phone/tablet/browser/etc. starts giving you warnings that something isn’t secure, listen to it! Quit dismissing those things and pay attention.

Use a VPN and Stick to HTTPS

Without going into all the technicalities of why and how a VPN protects you, suffice it to say that they do. However, they need to be a reliable VPN. We use Nord VPN, which is a very common and reliable VPN and something that many people are aware of. To be clear this is not an endorsement nor an advertisement. There are many trustworthy VPNs available and you should consider getting one.

Another more technical bit is making sure that you are browsing websites in “https”. This is the start of websites that you can see in your browser’s address bar. Safe sites should show https at the start of their web address like, https://farfarawaytravels.com/. This simply represents a more secure type of connection.

Avoid logging into your accounts on public Wi-Fi

One way to protect yourself is to just not access anything you have to log into. This means don’t log into your bank or other financial accounts. It also means don’t check email, social media sites, or anything else that you sign in to.

What Can You do if You’ve Been a Victim of an Evil Twin Attack?

If you suspect you’ve been a victim of one of these attacks, immediately contact your financial institution. Should you see any suspicious charges on your cards or transfers from your accounts, that’s a sign that you’ve had your information stolen.

You also absolutely must change your passwords if you suspect you’ve been the victim of any Evil Twin Wi-Fi scam.

I wish that there was better advice about reconstructing things that I could give, but that would just be fantasy. Right now, the best defense is good defense. Avoiding these types of Wi-Fi scams is the best thing you can do to keep yourself safe because coming back from them is a lot harder than falling into them.

The post The Evil Twin Wi-Fi Scam Could Ruin Your Life appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Not only does healthy skin keep you looking younger, longer, but it also helps avoid melanoma and other health conditions later in life. I have multiple people, close to me in my life, who have had to undergo surgery, sometimes major surgery, to stop the spread of skin cancer. Sun safety isn’t the most fun thing to think about when you’re out on the beach, or even spending the day in your garden, but you’ll thank yourself later.

Stick with me and read the rest of the article. I know it’s a bit boring and these days you may have some preconceptions about what I’m going to say, but please have a little faith and give me a chance.

Why Do We Need Protection?

The sun, the bright glowing ball in the sky that you shouldn’t look at, throws off a lot of energy. It gives us heat, which is what allows for liquid water to exist on Earth and is why any of us exist. The sun gives us light, which is the basis for almost all plant life on Earth and how we humans see things. The big old orb also gives us some things that we need to be careful about, and for this article, that means UV light.

Ultraviolet light exists just beyond our visible spectrum, and the UV wavelength contains enough energy that, when it interacts with our skin’s cells, these rays actually cause a burn. Calling it sunburn isn’t just wordplay either, it is a burn just like you get from a heat source. In severe cases, there can be blistering, peeling, even nausea, fever, or chills. If you’ve never been burned that badly, count your lucky stars.

Some people are more sensitive to being burned than others. We all know someone who needs to cake on the goop lest they turn into a human tomato. I am one of these people and although looking like a Scooby-Doo ghost isn’t flattering, I’ll take that over the alternative. Just because you don’t burn easily, though, doesn’t mean that your skin isn’t impacted by UV light. Everyone should take care of their skin to stay healthy.

What’s Should I Do to Stay Safe?

The biggest, simplest, mostiest, hopefully not toastiest thing that you can do to stay safe is sunscreen. Yes, sunscreen, the thing that screens the sun. The effectiveness of sunscreen is measured by SPF, which stands for Sun Protection Factor. This widely known term is simply a quick way to represent how protective the sunscreen is. Essentially, the higher the SPF, the more UV light it blocks.

The lowest recommendation for adequate protection is 30 SPF, but many people, including myself, go with 50 or higher. Which SPF you reach for can be based on your skin’s need and how much UV there is on that day. The level of UV light at any given time is impacted by many variabilities. The strongest variables are location, time of day, and atmospheric elements.

Being closer to the equator, where the sun’s rays hit the atmosphere more directly, increases how much UV light makes it through our planet’s protective layer. During the hours of 12 PM to 3 PM (or 1200 to 1500 hours for our 24-hour clock enhanced friends), the sun’s light strikes most directly and further enhances how much UV reaches the surface. Clearer days allow the most light to reach us, but don’t be lulled into a false sense of safety by clouds because they do not block UV light and you can still be burned on cloudy days.

Anecdotally, several doctors and nurses I know have told me that they see more cases of severe sunburn on cloudy days than sunny ones because people don’t realize they aren’t fully safe.

There are also two types of UV light, UVA and UVB. UVB protection is very important to have because it is 1,000-2,000 times more damaging than UVA. Make sure your sunscreen protects against UVB as well.

What Kind of Sunscreens Are There?

There are two types of sunscreens on the market, traditional sunscreen, which is a chemical based protection, and mineral, which is a mineral based protection. Both types of products have their pros and cons, but both provide protection from UV.v

The more widely known and familiar sunscreen is the chemical-based products. These use chemicals that are absorbed by your skin and then provide protection from UV light. The protection is caused by the chemicals absorbing the energy from UV rays instead of your skin’s cells. Some common active ingredients are: avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, and octinoxate.

Chemical sunscreens are lighter to wear, transparent, and often more water-resistant, meaning they stay on your skin longer when exposed to water. However, their drawbacks can be that some people may experience an allergic reaction, and they take time to become effective, typically about 20 minutes.

Your typical chemical based sunscreen. This is the type that the FDA approved the new sunscreen ingredient for.

Over the years, concerns have also grown about the safety of sunscreens using those chemicals. By design, those chemicals are absorbed into the skin and, inevitably, some of them make their way to your blood stream. While long the term safety or danger of those chemicals has not been conclusively determined many people, including health professionals, advocate for better alternatives.

To the end of safer sunscreens, last week, the FDA approved a new ingredient for sunscreen, bemotrizinol. It’s the first new ingredient to be added to US sunscreen in more than 25 years, but it’s been in use in Europe and Asia for decades. I’m not going to dive into the regulatory hurdles that had stood in the way of this ingredient being used in US sunscreen, but this is widely regarded as a step in the right direction.

The good news is this ingredient will replace the older chemicals and there are significantly fewer concerns over the safety of bemotrizinol than the compounds it replaces. The bad news is that it will likely be a year or more before we see this ingredient hit the shelves of our supermarkets.

This is one of many mineral sunscreens available. These products will not have the new sunscreen ingredient in them.

Mineral sunscreens, which are widely available right now, are the other option. Just like the chemical-based products, these too have pros and cons. Among the pros are being less likely to cause allergic reactions, meaning they are good for sensitive skin, and immediate protection. Since mineral sunscreens work by reflecting UV light, rather than absorbing it, they work as soon as they are put on. The cons are that these products are often thicker, leaving a visible white cast on your skin, and can be harder to apply and feel heavier to wear.

Notably, there are no medical concerns with mineral sunscreens but, on the other hand, they also often are less water resistant than chemical sunscreens. That means that you’ll have to reapply more frequently if you’re in the water.

Most importantly, both types of sunscreens will keep your skin safe in the sun as long as you follow the directions for use.

Reef Safe

Another thing you might see when shopping for sunscreen is “reef-safe”. One thing we know about our sunscreens is that have the potential to damage coral reefs. That damage is principally caused by the chemicals in them. The idea behind “reef-safe” products is that the sunscreen does not contain chemicals that damage reefs and other sea life when it inevitably washes off you.

Be cautious, though, because “reef-safe” or “reef-friendly” are terms that are thrown on a lot of products but are they not regulated. That means that when you are shopping you can’t necessarily trust the label.

Look for titanium dioxide or zinc oxide as the active ingredients to make sure your sunscreen is as reef safe as possible.

To be sure that any product you use is safe for our aquatic life, you need to look for sunscreen with either of these two active mineral ingredients, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Avoiding chemical sunscreens when you go in the water is an important part of keeping all our waterways healthy.

There are quite a few health and environmental organizations that have guides on finding reef safe sunscreen. The Surfrider Foundation recently published their guide on reef friendly sunscreens and it includes links to the scientific studies they reference and I’m always for showing your work.  

What Are Sunscreen Alternatives?

What if you can’t use or don’t want to use sunscreen? Perhaps you have sensitive skin, sensation issues, or something else? What’s the best way to protect yourself from the sun?

The most straightforward answer is to cover up. Umbrellas, parasols, long-sleeves, and big, silly, floppy, hats. That’s the answer.

Now, not all fabrics are equal when it comes to sun protection. You want something tightly woven, and materials that are good at absorbing UV light, which are typically blended or synthetic fabrics. If you want the best protection, you also want a darker, heavier fabric and a loose fit.

If you’re going swimming, you can also consider a water shirt to give you protection that won’t slough off in the waves. I have one and I love it. Mine even has a hood on it to help keep the top of your head safe. There is also clothing that is specifically rated and marketed with UPF, which stands for ultraviolet protection factor.

Wearing clothing for UV protection is my usual approach, because it’s simple and effective. I burn very easily and by wearing a lightweight, long sleeve, UPF rated top, I stay safe, grease free, and cool. But UV rays can be reflected off of surfaces, especially water, glass, and snow. That means that I’ll still use sunscreen on my face and other exposed skin to make sure I’m protected when I’m near those conditions, like when I’m on a boat.

Stay Safe and Get Outside

As I’ve been writing this, I’ve kept in the back of my mind the fact that we humans need the sun. Not just to grow plants or keep us warm, we need to be in sunlight for our health. Being outside in sunlight is what promotes vitamin D production. Somewhat ironically for this article’s focus on health, we specifically need the UVB, the most intense UV light, to make Vitamin D.

While it is absolutely true that we need that sunlight on our skin, the reality is you really don’t need much of that UV. To maintain a healthy level of vitamin D, humans only need about 4-15 minutes a few times a week at midday. That length of time will vary greatly depending on all the factors I mentioned earlier in this article, but it still isn’t very much.

I’m not endorsing any of these products, they are just what I had in my home. Whether you use these or something else, the important thing is that you’re protecting yourself.

Once you’ve got that exposure, which you can get quite easily with a short stroll at lunchtime, you’re good. After that length of time, the important health factor is to take care of your skin. Wearing sunscreen or covering up with clothes is still the best thing to do for your health once you’ve gotten the necessary UV exposure for vitamin D. Even SPF 15 sunscreen protects against skin cancers and precancers. Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Melanoma can be reduced by up to 50% through regular use of sunscreen.

In addition to this, it protects against skin aging. Wrinkles, sagging, spots, and “leathery” skin can all come from not protecting yourself. Those undesirable effects can all be reduced through regular, thorough use of sunscreen.

In the end, after you get your dose of vitamin D, it is always advisable to use sunscreen or cover your skin, regardless of age, skin type, or location, anytime that you are out and about in the sun.

The post Safety in The Sun – New Sunscreen Ingredient appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Virgin Voyages begins their very first Alaskan season with some very successful approaches.

• Different sorts of entertainment and enrichment activities on the ship.
• Shore excursions were made a little extra special by Virgin’s Shore Things teams.
• Small touches and new approaches make a big difference from other Virgin Sailings and other cruise lines in Alaska.

Could Virgin Voyages Pull Off Alaska?

The Alaskan cruise market is one of the most competitive, in demand, and saturated areas in cruising. When Virgin Voyages announced that they would be delaying the launch of their fourth ship, the Brilliant Lady, to modify it to be able to traverse the Panama Canal, they also said that they would be sailing in Alaska. Fans of the line were immediately excited, yet many remained trepidatious that Virgin, who built their ships for the balmy warmth of the Caribbean and Mediterranean, would handle the colder Alaskan climates well.

Could a line that throws a party like this, ever fit in up in Alaska?

Many pointed out that Virgin’s pools were open air, that Richard’s Rooftop (the small part of the ship reserved exclusively to suite guests) was also exposed to the elements. Virgin Voyage’s famous balcony hammocks were feared to be useless in the Alaskan weather, mostly because of the brisk temperatures. Speculation swirled around what the line could possibly do to stand out in a market swelling with other options. Is it possible to offer something no other line has offered when there are already more than 800 Alaskan sailings each year? Well, I went to find out.

One last thing before we dive in, this is a review. That means that even though we are travel agents, when we took this sailing it was at full price and there were no special benefits that we received. That means that what we experienced was the same that anyone could experience.

Expectations

I’d sailed Virgin Voyages six times before stepping onboard their inaugural Alaskan sailing, including once before on the Brilliant Lady. I’m well familiar with what the line offers. I also want to be clear about what I mean when I say inaugural, since Virgin has muddied the water somewhat. I sailed on an itinerary from Vancouver, B.C. to Seattle, WA and that itinerary was the first time Virgin Voyages sailed Alaska, it was not the “Mer-Maiden” Voyage though, that was actually the voyage after mine. Their rationale for this was because the “Mer-Maiden” was the first time they sailed from their home port of Seattle.

The Mer-Maiden was the next sailing after the one I took. So, I was on the first Alaskan voyage for the line, just not the big flashy one.

When crews have never sailed to a region before, it can be a bit of a shakedown voyage. The staff have new menus catered to the region, that means different drinks to concoct, new dishes to prep, and new suppliers and supplies to work with. The crew are also getting used to the behavior of guests in the new region, such as when sailors are leaving their rooms so the house keeping staff can clean up and what activities are popular. Virgin Voyages has a very good reputation for guest service and food quality on their ships, so there’s pressure to perform here.

All in all, my expectations were high, since I’ve had many nice voyages on Virgin, but I was prepared for some hiccups.

The Brilliant Lady Is Different

Since not everyone is up to speed on Virgin Voyages, their ships, and their reputation, it’s worth a quick rundown.

• Virgin has four ships, The Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady, and Brilliant Lady. The Brilliant is the most recent addition.
• They’ve got a reputation for great food and drinks.
• Their ships were designed with warm weather in mind – they’ve got balcony hammocks, lots of areas to lay in the sun, and tons of open-air spaces.

The last point has been a significant concern for some sailors thinking about taking Virgin Voyages Alaska.

Virgin Voyages was either thinking ahead or listening to feedback from sailors about concerns with the ship in Alaska. When the Brilliant Lady was delayed, Virgin not only modified the lifeboat mounting to become Panama Canal compliant, they also took the time to make some changes to their outdoor areas.

At the aft on deck 7, at The Dock, the outdoor chairs on The Brilliant Lady have been improved when compared to their counterparts on the other Lady Ships. As many people have noted and commented on, the original wooden deck chairs are extremely heavy, low to the ground, and generally not very comfortable to sit in. The chairs at The Dock on the Brilliant are much more comfortable and easier to sit in. This means better viewing of the gorgeous Alaskan vistas.

On deck 15, the two pools are heated, unlike the other three Virgin ships. They weren’t what many would call warm, but they were comfortable. We, and several others we became friends with, all went in the pool and thought it was quite nice but colder than when in the Caribbean. I’d guess the water temperature was around 70-75˚F (21-24˚C). There also wasn’t anyone really using the pool, so it wasn’t crowded. The folks that we were with were quite happy with the experience. The hot tubs were still hot, just so we’re clear that they are there.

Virgin swapped out some of the towels on deck for blankets. A welcome change and something that I wasn’t expecting them to do.

There were some, online, bemoaning that the pools weren’t enclosed, which is true. Whether that matters to you isn’t for me to say, but it didn’t dissipate my enjoyment. For what it’s worth, in my experience, Alaska isn’t the kind of place you go to enjoy a pool, even on a cruise. Most excursions involve being outside, many involve hiking, and almost all the ports are inside a literal rain forest, so being wet outside isn’t exactly a novel feeling in The Last Frontier.

One deck up, on 16, at the Athletic Club, the Brilliant Lady was updated to have the day bed lounging face outward and for the outer railing to be glass. As I write, the Valiant Lady is being updated to an identical configuration of the day beds on the Brilliant, but the other two ships face inward. Appreciating Hubbard glacier from this space was very easy and relaxed.

At every outdoor area, Virgin Voyages swapped out the stacks of towels for stacks of blankets. Although having outdoor blankets is hardly unique to Virgin, Princess offers blankets for their Movies Under the Stars, it’s something that I’ve not found on some lines in Alaska. Sailing Regent Seven Seas last year in Alaska, for example, they did not offer blankets on the open-air areas. On Virgin Voyages, I spent an hour or so lying comfortably under a blanket by the pool on one of the lounge chairs, it was quite enjoyable.

Cuisine

Virgin Voyages’ eateries are all what the cruise industry has come to call “premium restaurants.” This means that Virgin’s ships have no Main Dining Room, unlike many other cruises. Instead, you’ll eat at one of these dedicated and culinarily themed establishments each night. This has led some repeat customers to complain about the mostly static menus. Fortunately, Virgin has been listening here as well.

In the last year, each of the dining establishments on the ships have added limited time specials in addition to their standard menu. I always take the kitchen up on their short-term offerings and have never been disappointed. Virgin has gone a step further for their Alaskan sailings, though, by offering specific regional dishes on some of their menus.

Of the Alaskan exclusives, my personal favorite was the venison loin at the wake. I’m from a state where our schools and communities actually shut down for the start of deer season. Venison is a staple in our diets and I’ve eaten it my whole life. I can say with certainty that Virgin’s preparation was close to the best I’ve ever tasted. If you like fish, I also wouldn’t miss the roasted cod at Rojo. When I reviewed Rojo last year, I said it was the best of Virgin’s restaurants; their cod only reinforces the skill of that kitchen.

The venison at The Wake was astounding! One of my favorite dishes that Virgin has ever made and an excellent preparation even when compared to restaurants on land.

There are also limited items at the bars. Should you be inclined to partake of some alcohol on your sailing, Virgin has brought a cask of mulled wine aboard! Okay, so I don’t know if they actually have a cask, but they are offering the spiced drink. They also added a Hot Toddy to the drink list. The classic bourbon beverage happens to be one of my favorite cold weather drinks and I thought that they made theirs quite well. Virgin has always used higher quality alcohol than other lines in their cocktails, and they continue to do so with the these beverages.

Virgin Voyages’ Alaskan sailings feature additions to the coffee bars as well. At the Grounds Clubs, the ship’s cafés, I found two limited time espresso drinks, the Salty Sea Otter and the Denali Late. The former is a salted caramel and mocha brew, and the latter is a birch syrup infused latte. Both were delicious, although if you prefer a less sweet coffee, I recommend the Sea Otter as the Denali tended to be slightly more saccharine. That being said, it’s not often you get the chance to have birch syrup, so I would suggest trying it at least once because the taste is unique.

Events and Experiences

I’ve taken quite a few cruises and Virgin Voyages offers what, I think, to be the best entertainment, activities, and events of any line. I made my feelings clear some time back now and it hasn’t changed since then. The new shows on the Brilliant Lady are very popular, including the additional paid dinner shows.

On Virgin Voyages Alaska they are offering some new events and activities as well as speakers. The Happenings Cast is hosting several new events that were very popular with the sailors. The Crack The Crab event was a game show tied into eating crab and it was a massive hit. I personally get quite nervous in games like that, despite how very low stakes it is, so I only observed, but the participants were very invested.

In the evenings while the ship sailed in the Alaska fjords, which is to say the end of port days, there was an outdoor event at The Dock at sunset. As hues of auburn dapple the gold washed sky, one of the Happenings Cast will tell a short story to the assembled crowd. It’s only about 10 minutes total, but then an interesting thing happened each time, the people stuck around. Nearly everyone who came each night, which was usually 75 or more people, gathered together with their blankets and just started talking with each other. It was a wonderful event. I can’t guarantee that will happen with any particular sailing, but it happened with mine.

Virgin Voyages Alaska had a new game for the Happenings cast to host called, Crak The Crab. It was a riot!

Virgin also had a member of the Tlingit tribe on the ship to teach guests about the traditional woodworking techniques of the tribe and share the history of the people. When we were at Hubbard glacier, Virgin brought a naturalist on the ship who spoke over the PA system about what we were seeing around us. They also had mobile drink carts serving coffee and hot chocolate (as well as more adult beverages) on deck 16 while we were at the glacier. Although those sorts of things are the expectation for any cruise that visits Alaska, they are new for Virgin, especially having someone talking on the PA. After all, the line is known for their approach to reduce announcements as much as possible. Virgin, for example, does not have the captain address the ship each morning while most other lines do.

Just like their musical performers, these two guests will change between sailings, and you’ll experience something different from me. The point of mentioning it here is to highlight that Virgin Voyages Alaska is doing things a little differently from their usual approach. There’s even a temporary Happenings Cast member, The Lumberjack. If you read my Alaskan excursion article, you’ll know how much I enjoy lumberjacks! He was only on for a couple days, until we reached Ketchikan, where he got off the ship. How much he’ll be back I don’t know, but it was fun while he was aboard (I just wish I got a picture with him, but there was considerable competition).

Successes

Virgin Voyages Alaska had some truly outstanding things that they do to make your time onboard their ship special. While every line does something a little different for Alaska, Virgin is one of the few adults only cruise lines in the world, so their clientele is slightly different.

What I haven’t mentioned yet in this article are the small touches that they put into their rooms. Each room was equipped with a very soft, plush, fleece blanket. Our Sea Terrace room had two, one each for Nichole and I. Of course they were a red color, but hued closer to maroon than Virgin’s signature scarlet. Not only were they warm enough to make for a cozy bed each night, but they also kept you toasty should you decide to spend time outside on your balcony, like enjoying the hammock, which is something I certainly did.

In the RockStar and Mega RockStar suites (which I didn’t pay for this trip but certainly have in the past), Virgin included not only the blankets but also a pair of Binoculars. The brand and model they chose is, and I swear I had no idea, the exact same ones that I recommended just a matter of weeks ago in my article on What to Pack for Alaska. I asked several suite guests what they thought of the binoculars and they had nothing but praise for them. It seems that my recommendation is a good one.

I wasn’t sure if Virgin Voyages Alaska would make an adaptation to their linens, but they did. There’s nothing amazing about these fleece blankets, but having them at all made a huge difference.

There’s other small touches that made a difference. During our time at Hubbard Glacier, Virgin had mobile hot chocolate and coffee carts on deck 16, which is where most people were observing the glacier. You could also have spiked those beverages if you wished. We also got a sneak preview of what, we confirmed with crew, Virgin is trying to do at Hubbard. They brought a small boat up to the Brilliant Lady for a film crew to get on. That was also a test to see if they could sell that as an excursion! Keep an eye out for that in the future because the camera crew said it was stunning.

Speaking of beverages, something that I hadn’t expected was the included alcohol on several different excursions we went on. It’s not that I have never had alcohol included with an excursion, there are many catamarans in the Caribbean who serve cheap rum drinks while you snorkel, it’s more that I wasn’t expecting it in Alaska and it wasn’t included in other cruise ships that booked them. The only reason that I know that is because when we went to the Lumberjack Show (which you should go to), the announcer specifically stated that guests from our ship were given drink tickets and that other lines weren’t. I can’t say if that will always be the case, but I can say that it’s a lot easier to throw in a free drink as a bonus for booking that excursion if the cruise line has no kids on it.

Some Failures

Not everything is perfect, though, not that I expect it to be but it should be mentioned regardless. Virgin Voyages Alaska had some shortcomings that did impact our trip.

At the top of the article, I mentioned Richard’s Rooftop, the suite guests’ exclusive area of the ship. People worried that it wouldn’t be used much in Alaska given that it’s an open air space and Alaska is, well, not the Caribbean. Since I wasn’t staying in a suite, I didn’t have access to this space but, I can look through the glass partition. What I saw was minimal use, which was what people predicted. I’m not sure what Virgin could do to correct that short of a complete redesign that I don’t think they want to do. The one thing that was in use in the Richard’s Rooftop area was the hot tubs, those remained popular.

The most significant shortcoming is the tender port of Juneau. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the term, a tender port is any port where you are not docked at a pier, but rather you are docked away from shore and need to board a smaller boat to get to shore. There are many places where this is the only way to visit, from small towns like Eastport Maine, to very popular places like Grand Cayman.

Juneau has quite a few shoreside docking places, but it also has many ships that come each day. If your ship is smaller or newer to the rotation, you’re likely going to experience Juneau as a tender port. Virgin’s ships are not small, nor are they particularly large for the cruise industry. They are new to Alaska, however, and that puts them fairly low in the pecking order, thus they are tendering people in.

I don’t know what Virgin Voyages Alaska has going wrong in Juneau with the tendering, but they really do need to sort that out.

The tender situation was rather chaotic for us. On every cruise, people with shore excursions will get priority to take the tender, often staged by groups, before anyone without an excursion will be taken to shore. Even with the grouping and scheduling, we didn’t get to shore until an hour after our tour was supposed to begin. This meant that we lost time on our excursion. We still went on the excursion because it was waiting for all of us from the ship, but we lost an hour. That meant that we didn’t get to whale watch and hike at Mendenhall glacier as much as we should have.

Problems with the tendering don’t seem to be limited to just our cruise either since, as I write this, there are reports coming in about similar issues happening at Juneau once again.

I can’t say for sure what the cause of the delay was, but something wasn’t right that day. Keep this in mind when booking things in Juneau. Also, to be clear, when I say people with an excursion get priority, what I mean is, people with an excursion booked through the cruise line get priority. If you booked an excursion on your own… you will have to wait in the standby line or book the first available slot once tender slot booking is opened up in the Virgin Voyages app. Realistically, if you book an excursion in the morning at Juneau and it isn’t through the cruise line, you aren’t going to make it. You shouldn’t book anything before, at the earliest, 1PM if you’re doing it on your own.

In fact, I would caution you from booking anything on your own in Juneau right now.

Most of the dishes on the Virgin Voyages Alaska sailing we did were excellent… not the Achiote Spiced Salmon from Pink Agave. Maybe skip this one.

That was the only major issue that we ran into, but there are some minor flubs that you should have a heads up about.

• The shows are very popular, so much Virgin is rumored to be bringing back ticketing for them. (That doesn’t mean that they will cost extra, it’s just to control crowd size and eliminate people just waiting in line.) We can’t confirm their plans as of writing, but this is a widespread rumor.
  
  For now, you should know that if you want to see a show, you’ll need to line up early; unless you are sailing as a RockStar, of course.
• When the Lumberjack is on, they aren’t on for very long. I can’t even say this is truly a flub, but Virgin didn’t make it completely clear that he is only on for a couple days of any cruise.
• Pink Agave’s Alaska menu item, the Achiote Spiced Salmon, isn’t great. I love salmon and cook it frequently; I’m no stranger to this fish. The approach here, with the combination of flavors and the cooking technique, just doesn’t work. I would avoid this one and get something else from the menu.

Conclusion

Many fans of Virgin Voyages worried that they would fumble Alaska. They said that the pools won’t be any good, that the ship wouldn’t be fun outside of balmy weather, that Virgin wasn’t designed as a line to sail in cold weather. I can confidently say that all those fears are overblown.

Virgin Voyages Alaska sufficiently altered their approach to sailing to meet the needs and desires of the area. There were many long time Virgins… wait… There were many returning Virgin guests we met on the ship that raved about how much fun they were having. I ended up socializing with people more than I usually do because folks were in a fantastic mood and having fun.

I love Skagway! The owners of the Red Onion put this sign out for our first visit and it’s perfect. I really do love that town.

Yes, Scarlet Night was a little more subdued given that the top deck dance party was moved inside and likely will be for much of the season. That change didn’t dampen people’s spirits, though, as all through Scarlet Night people were spotting whales off the side of the ship and it turned into a mix of dancing and nature watching. That’s not something that I’ve ever seen in the warm waters of the gulf.

I spent hours watching the scenery pass by, warmly wrapped in blankets, curled up in the hammock. There was delicious venison, cod, crab, salmon, and halibut, at every restaurant. The mood was bright and fun, as it always is, but there were opportunities to engage in culture and education that don’t typically happen on Virgin’s sailings.

At the end of the day, I’ve been to Alaska before, but I’ve never had such a good time as this.

The post Virgin Voyages First Alaska Sailing Review – Stunning And Successful appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

“To our Guests: all flights have been cancelled, and customer service is no longer available, we are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 34 years and had hoped to serve our Guests for many years to come.”

Following this message, they ceased all operations, leaving 277 flights on that day alone cancelled and the passengers stranded where they were.

Wall Street Journal first reported this turn of events was likely only the afternoon before, so the sudden shuttering caught a lot of people off guard.

In response, most major airlines have put out special offers and discounted rates to the people affected by the closure.

So now that Spirit is gone, how exactly did we get here?

Spirit Airlines Financial Issues

Spirit Airlines began its life as, believe it or not, Clipper Trucking Company in 1964. They appear to have been quite successful as by 1974, just ten years later, the company changed its name to Ground Air Transfer and then, only nine years after that, they changed their name again. In 1983, the company started flying as Charter One Airlines, which eventually changed its name, again, to Spirit Airlines in May of 1992.

Its business model was to offer very basic flights at ultra-low fares. Of course, as many people know, they would also throw in fees for any possible add-ons should you choose to buy them. This model let them undercut the larger players in the industry, even as those airlines merged and became more monopolistic in their markets.

As Spirit Airlines Shuts Down, a look back at when they started. By Aero Icarus from Zürich,

The next 28 years saw the airline grow consistently. At their peak, the carrier was the 7^th largest in the US. However, they ran into serious trouble during the COVID pandemic in 2020 when global travel ground to a halt. Although they, like their competitors in the industry, received financial aid in the Coronavirus Air, Relief and Economic Security Act, otherwise known as CARES, instability for the airline still followed the pandemic.

Beginning in February of 2022, there were several attempts by both Frontier and JetBlue to acquire Spirit Airlines. The first proposal came from Frontier Airlines, which offered a mix of cash and stock for $2.9 billion to Spirit’s shareholders. In April of the same year, JetBlue offered an all-cash deal worth $3.6 billion.

Both of these offers were initially rejected by Spirit’s shareholders. JetBlue was the first to be turned away in May of 2022, then came the rejection of Frontier in July of that year. In rejecting JetBlue, Spirit indicated that it believed that the Justice Department would reject the deal on the basis that it was anticompetitive. However, the rejection of Frontier seems to be a little more… simple. Spirit decided to reconsider JetBlue’s offer and accept it.

The warning that Spirit gave about the acquisition being challenged proved to be quite prescient, though, because it was. Over the next, nearly, two years the DOJ challenged the purchase and by March of 2024, JetBlue ended their efforts to acquire Spirit. In January of 2024, a judge blocked the takeover attempt writing in the decisions that the deal was anticompetitive. By November of that year, Spirit declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Only a few months later, in January of 2025, Frontier Airlines once again offered to purchase Spirit. The offer was for $2.1 billion in cash and stock but, unlike last time Spirit did not reject the offer. However, nothing seems to have ever come from this offer nor the negotiations.

Spirit completed their bankruptcy and restructuring that began in November 2024, in March but by August of 2025 they entered bankruptcy again.

The Final Nail

The final nail in the coffin for Spirit came in February 2026 when the United States and Israel engaged in a joint attack of Iran leading to the shutting down of the Strait of Hormuz. With the critical waterway shut down, gas and oil prices have continued to climb rapidly, affecting industries all over the world, including air travel. As you’ve likely heard, there’s a jet fuel shortage hitting Europe now, causing many airlines to cancel flights and consolidate schedules.

The shortage of fuel shot the price skyrocketing. These increases in costs pushed the flagging Spirit Airlines to the edge. In April of 2026, just last month, Spirit was seeking a government bailout to keep from collapsing. On May 1^st, those bailout negotiations with the Trump administration fell apart and less than 24 hours later they announced the complete shuttering of operations.

Spirit Airlines specifically cited the Iran War and the spiking fuel costs as the reason for its shutdown.

Conclusion

There were thousands of passengers left stranded by this closure, and I can only imagine how much luggage will forever remain lost. We are likely to see the fallout of this for years to come. There are now thousands of staff that are out of a job, and billions of dollars’ worth of equipment that is now sitting unused. There are also fewer options for consumers to choose for their travel.

I’m not sure why Spirit couldn’t come out of the pandemic with any amount of stability. There was a travel boom that sprung forth from lockdown being lifted, they just didn’t seem to be able to fully capitalize on it. By the time you’re reading this, most stranded passengers are likely already home or have sorted out their return plans.

On a personal note, to all of the staff that are now searching for what to do next, you have my empathy. I know all too well what it’s like to have your job unexpectedly taken from you. I wish you all the best in finding your next job or step in life.

*Image Credit: Acroterion – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=163002246

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TSA Staffing Issues

The Department of Homeland has been experiencing a partial shutdown for nearly 40 days now. TSA, Coast Guard, FEMA, and other agencies are all impacted by the impasse in the federal government. It’s been more than a month since TSA agents have been paid and it is affecting the staffing levels at airports.

Most of the staffing issues are being blamed on absenteeism. DHS officials have stated that recent call out rates are over 10% for security officers, compared to a typical rate of around 2%. That figure is an average and specific absenteeism rates for your airport may be higher or lower. DHS has also reported that 366 TSA officers have quit their job. I could not verify if the absentee or resignation rates are abnormally high, but not being paid does not incentivize going to work so an increase would make sense.

Reduced staffing has lead to increased wait times in airports all around the country. Screening lines in New Orleans, Atlanta, New York, and Houston, among many others, have been reported taking travelers hours to clear. Some travelers even posted to social media that they arrived more than four hours early to their New Orleans flight and still missed it.

The Trump administration has now deployed ICE agents to airports for the stated purpose of alleviating the burdens on TSA agents. The efficacy of that move is unknown at this point and the largest federal workers union has warned that ICE agents are not trained to be TSA agents and it won’t help the situation.

Airport Shutdowns

Adding to the worries is a lingering warning from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy that small airports may shut down if funding is not restored. The comments were made last week to multiple outlets.

The Secretary warned that the shortage of screeners at TSA checkpoints may lead to closing “small airports.” There have not been specific airports listed, but the theory is that larger airports could consolidate their screening lines to fewer points to deal with reduced staffing but that smaller airports may only have one screening point that may be unstaffed. If there is no security screening, then passengers cannot board planes and the airport may need to close.

With hundreds of airports throughout the country, keeping any eye on your own airport and being ready for last minute adjustments is essential for you to do.

Rising Costs

The ongoing war with Iran has disrupted global shipping and energy supply. Plane ticket costs rose dramatically in some cases and have remained fairly flat in others. As a travel agency we have a unique perspective in that we are often quoting flights and tracking their costs for clients.

As I’ve written about, some flights that we’ve observed have risen by more than 20% in price since before the war began. Other flights have remained largely flat in price, rising only slightly, by only around $20.

Unpredictability appears to be the name of the game here. Trying to plan around pricing of flights does not appear to be following typical ups and downs and, like I said in other articles, buying when you are comfortable with the cost is the best approach right now. There are a few things that are holding true; buying flights several months out (4-7 months specifically) is better than buying closer, busier seasonal flights (like spring break to popular cities) are more expensive than slower times of the year, and using price trackers is a good idea. Google flights is a good tracker for the price of tickets if you’ve never used one before.

What can you do?

The most important thing to do right now is keep an eye on your local airport status. The DHS shutdown is rapidly evolving and is very unpredictable. I continue to see reports that there are productive conversations going on in congress. However, I’ve been seeing similar statements since the start of the shutdown, and I can’t say how accurate they are.

The shutdown may continue for some time, it also might be over by the time this is published. With no way to know, keep yourself apprised of what’s happening at your local airport. Obviously, you should also give yourself a lot of time to get through security. I mean at least 3 hours, maybe 4. If there are airport shutdowns, reaching out to the airline your are booked with is the best place to start.

I truly wish that I didn’t have to relay frustrating travel information to you, but my job is to keep you informed of things in travel you need to know, even if that news isn’t great.

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New Restaurant on the Valiant Lady

Just a matter of days ago, Virgin Voyages announced that they will be making an update to the Razzle Dazzle restaurant on the Valiant Lady. The fact that they are changing the restaurant isn’t news at this point, since they announced that they would be changing it quite some time ago, but we hadn’t learned what cuisine it would be until now.

The new establishment will be called Ariya and it will feature Indian dishes “reimagined with contemporary flair.” Frankly, I’m a bit clueless as to what that last part means and I’ve worked in food service to know puffery when I see it. Don’t misconstrue this, though, I am very much looking forward to trying the new restaurant.

Virgin Voyages’ New Restaraunt – Ariya

Virgin posted some delicious sounding previews from the menu:

• Golgappa Shot: crisp pani puri, chilled spiced herb water
• Malabar Coconut Crab Cake: golden crab cake, coconut spice, green papaya slaw
• Lamb Shank Biryani: papadum, fragrant saffron basmati
• Eggplant Saag Napoleon: roasted eggplant, creamy spinach saag, crisp papadum
• Gulab Jamun Stuffed Cheesecake: cheesecake, saffron-cardamom donut bites

There will also be a complimentary jaljeera, which they describe as, “a chilled blend of tamarind, cumin, mint, and lemon.” This will be served to greet sailors as they arrive at the restaurant, similar to the beverage served when you dine at Test Kitchen.

It’s long been speculated that Virgin would announce an Indian restaurant to update Razzle Dazzle. Previously they created Lucky Lotus and Rojo, which I wrote about and had very high praise for. The roots of Razzle Dazzle, were in vegan and vegetarian forward dishes, which Indian cuisine is exceptionally good at, making Aryia a wisely chosen successor.

Pier Changes in New York

The inaugural New York season for Virgin Voyages was centered at Pier 90 in Manhattan, where the ship’s departed from and returned to. However, Pier 90 is closed to receive infrastructure updates, creating capacity issues at the Manhattan terminal. Virgin moved their 2026 operations to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal as the capacity issues forced them to move.

Passengers who had booked impacted itineraries have been notified by the cruise line of the changes, but if you’re thinking about taking a New York sailing this Spring or Fall you should know that the departing location has changed. Here’s which sailings are impacted:

April of 2026

• 5-night Sailing: The Big Apple to Bermuda – April 6, 2026
• 5-night Sailing: Virgin Voyages Comedy Fest New York – April 11, 2026
• 9-night Sailing: Bermuda Beauty to East Coast Elegance – April 16, 2026
• 14-night Sailing: New York Transatlantic Crossing to Spain – April 25, 2026

September of 2026:

• 8-night Sailing: Fall Foliage in Canada & New England – September 19, 2026
• 5-night Sailing: The Big Apple to Bermuda – September 27, 2026

October of 2026:

• 5-night Sailing: The Big Apple to Bermuda – October 2, 2026
• 6-night Sailing: New York to Bermuda (& Back) – October 7, 2026
• 6-night Sailing: New York to Bermuda (& Back) – October 13, 2026
• 12-night Sailing: NY to San Juan: Bermuda & Caribbean – October 19, 2026

The difference in leaving from Brooklyn as opposed to Manhattan isn’t that much of an impact – as long as you go to the correct pier.

The Brilliant Lady Docked at Pier 90 in New York City

Having sailed from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, I can confidently say that, yes, it needs these updates. Literally, whatever they are updating it needs it. The staff handled everything wonderfully and boarding was incredibly smooth, but the infrastructure was obviously in need of refurbishment and replacement. The overhaul is more than replacing carpets and benches, this will be significant.

New York Sailings Disappear

What’s more concerning is that after the fall of 2026, New York appears nowhere on their deployment chart, which is a cruise line’s plan for where their ships will be deployed. That means that for 2027, Virgin Voyages will not be sailing from the Big Apple. The deployment chart that we have goes until March of 2028, so it is possible that New York may be restored in Spring and Summer of that year, but we cannot be sure.

As of writing Virgin has made no public comment on why they are abandoning one of their “home ports.” In 2024, when the Brilliant Lady was announced, Virgin proclaimed, with no small amount of fanfare, that New York would be a new East Coast home for them. The popular New York – Bahamas/Carolinas cruises make a strong seasonal market and the scarlet cruise line wanted a piece of it. It makes their backing out all the more mysterious and disappointing.

Virgin Voyages 2026-Mar 2028 Deploayment Chart

We have reached out to Virgin for comment and will update this piece if we get a response.  Until we are told otherwise, however, we can only speculate on why they are pulling out of this market – which is what I shall now do!

I suspect that this has something to do with the cruise terminal overhaul at Pier 90. When cruise companies make their schedules, they are looking 12-24 months out. The updates to Pier 90 are expected to take several years to complete and that is going to crunch the capacity of the New York market for the duration. That could mean that docking fees are rising in the area because of the reduction in capacity. It’s also possible that the availability of docks is incompatible with the other schedules that Virgin has already lined up.

It wouldn’t be the first time that Virgin has been forced to abandon a market due to forces outside their control. When the line launched, Australia and New Zeeland were very popular itineraries for them. They were selling well and people raved about the line in that market. Then, conflict broke out in Yemen and it made traversing the Red Sea quite a bit more dangerous, causing Virgin to cancel Australia and New Zeeland sailings. That conflict has not subsided and, as I’ve written about, the Middle East region hasn’t proven to be safer since then.

Hopefully we’ll see a restoration of the sailings from old New York, since I adored my time on one of them. Until then, there’s plenty of other reasons to visit the city.

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