Category Archives: Travel

CES 2020 | Las Vegas

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Tuesday, January 7, 2020 | 2020 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas. ( #CES2020 )

The #CES2020 day was kicked off by Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian and several dozen employees of Delta.Ed Bastian, CEO, Delta Airlines[/caption]

From the dark days following the 2001, 911 terrorist attacks, Delta has strived to become the best in Class for innovation and service.

During the keynote, Ed informed the assembled CES attendees that Delta interacts with 600K customers every 15 minutes. Additionally, Delta has worked to cancel cancellations and eliminated involuntary bumping.

Their objective is to reduce or eliminate the moments of stress flying to CES, especially if attendees flew on Delta.

During the address, he discussed the importance of the “Fly Delta app”. Delta’s intent is to evolve the app into a true digital flight concierge. When the app is fully enhanced, it will be able to track bags real-time.

Aspirational, Delta intends to alleviate the stress of travel and in the near future in the future provide a service to pick up bags from a passenger’s home and delivered them to their hotel.

Another Delta initiative is to provide virtual queueing that informs you when it time to board. It alleviates the necessity of passengers congregating an clogging in the gate boarding area.

Research shows people enter an elevated emotional state when traveling and flying. Delta’s goal is to effectively reduce the level of flying stress.

Two partnerships that Delta has pursued are with John Zimmer, co-founder of Lyft. They partnered with Delta since the future of travel will be multimodal…offer self-driving vehicle, bikes and scooters. Additionally, Wheels Up – democratizing private aircraft travel. Replace 1/3 of main line fleet in five years.

HBO Max

Snap shot, or initial, at launch, HBO Max will have double the content than currently available HBO Now and will continue to grow contest offerings. It is not a direct competitor with Disney or Netflix.

Measure of success will be 50M subscribers in five years. Non measurable metric is to create a streaming service that matters to global audience. Non ad supported viewership does not have a standardized measure. If you want to sale advertising, will need a standardization.

Walking

The one reality regarding CES 2020 is that you walk and you walk a lot . Today, for example, I walked over 8.8 miles in the exhibition halls and attending key nite addresses.. Also, I played spent a few minutes on a high tech self-powered treadmill.

2020 Consumer Electronic Show | Las Vegas

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Saturday, January 4, 2020 | 2020 Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas

Arrived in Las Vegas early Saturday evening to attend the 2020 Consumer Electronic Show (CES). After arriving McCarran International Airport and disembarking the aircraft, I, along with several dozen other arriving passengers, took advantage of the CES registration kiosk conveniently located in the airport’s main lobby to checkin and pickup conference credentials.

The show opened to the media for early viewing of new products and to publicize the event. The show advertise itself as “…the world’s gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies”. 

According to the show’s website, CES showcases the products and services of more than 4,500 exhibiting international technology companies and expects more than 170,000 attendees from 160 countries. The show is owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).

The show’s first scheduled event for the 100K plus attendees will be a keynote address delivered by Samsung Electronic’s President and CEO Mr. Hyun-Suk Kim scheduled for Monday evening, January 6, 2020. The keynote begins at 6:30 pm at the MGM auditorium.

The two previous years opening CES keynote (2018 and 2019) speakers were Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang in 2019, who unveiled AI robotic assistants and Intel’s CEO Brian Krzanich in 2018, who unveiled a swarm of AI autonomous synchronized drones.

Anticipate that #2020CES in chilly Las Vegas will impress and wow attendees just like it has in previous editions.

Thanksgiving Cruising

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Spent a fun five days / four nights during 2019 Thanksgiving week cruising on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL) vessel Mariner of the Seas.

The first impression of the the vessel was that it was bigger (or displaced more water) than an U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, but lacked the raw horsepower and fighting punch of a nuclear powered floating Navy air base…but, I’ve digressed.

On the day we embarked, we and our fellow cruisers arrived at the cruise terminal in Port Canaveral, FL, and assumed our position in the boarding queue on a warm and sunny late Monday morning.

Surprisingly, the process to check-in and board the vessel was relatively painless compared to prior cruises. Instead of the typical excessively long, slow moving lines to embark cruise ships, the queues on this particular day moved quickly and the actual check-in process proved efficient.

The RCCL Mariner of the Seas is a large cruise ship that displaces more than 130-thousand tons and offered a plethora of activities and amenities for several thousand guests of all ages. The activities included water slides for kids, basket court for teenagers and young adults, and the requisite playground for adults, a casino.

The ships itinerary included brief stops in the port of Nassau and alongside the pier of RCCL private island of Coco Cay.

In Nassau, most of the passengers either hit the many bars, restaurants and shops that catered to money laden tourists, or journeyed over to the top attraction on the island, the Atlantis Resort.

The second stop of RCCL private island of Coco Cay proved better than expected. From the first views of the island, it was apparent that the cruise line had invested significant capital into designing and building the islands infrastructure and amenities.

Expecting small boats or “water taxis” to be used to transport passengers from ship to shore, we were pleasantly surprised to find a relatively new pier in place which the ship moored and disembarked its passengers to the island.

Furthermore, the island had substantial quantities of amenities and improvements including a large resort style swimming pool, multiple beaches and bars, and several zip lines.

Essentially, RCCL designed an island with entertainment and activities for cruisers of any age. And, the island had the capacity to handle the passengers from two of RCCL’s largest cruise ships. You could only walk away impressed with the final product.

The final full day was spent at sea. It proved a lazy and restful day on the ship highlighted by our group getting kicked out of areas that were closing due to the end of a meal hour. We essentially stayed too long relaxing and socializing while the ship’s routine moved on around our group.

The final day, we disembarked the cruise ship early Friday morning following Thanksgiving, Black Friday.

Overall, it was a fun and rewarding four night / five day cruise on the Mariner of the Seas. It is challenging to find a complaint about the days and nights in port and at sea on the cruise ship.

The only complaint that comes to mind was the quality of the food on the Mariner of the Seas. Breakfast and lunch food service and quality, whether buffet or a la carte, was evaluated as fair at best for the entire cruise.

Dinner, especially on the first two nights, left us wondering if the overall quality of the food would rank far below that served on peer cruise lines. However, by the third and final nights of the cruise, the food quality improved dramatically. The braised short ribs and the osso buco were two entrees that received significant praise.

From the appearance and taste of the food, it appeared that the food items were prepared hours or maybe days in advance; then reheated and either plated or placed on the buffet serving line. RCCL must improve its process of cooking and serving quality food to a large number of passengers…think institutional or cafeteria food.

MGM Grand Las Vegas on Halloween

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Arrived Las Vegas late on weekday Halloween night. As I walked into MGM Grand Hotel and Casino on The Strip, encountered a multitude of revelers dressed in a variety of risqué costumes.

The first attention getting outfit that crossed my path was quite memorable. The young woman’s attire was a navy blue Brazilian cut string bikini beneath an extremely sheer coverup worn by a five foot nine inch tall twenty-something model-like dirty blond. The young lady not only caught my attention, but also caused quite a stir amongst the mass of humanity that had congregated in the lobby area as she ambled confidently through the MGM’s lobby.

For someone arriving for their first Halloween night in Las Vegas, the abundance of risqué costumes donned by party goers created quite a memorable impression.

Needing to check-in, I observed that the MGM Grand’s check-in line queue was nearly one hundred guests deep at eleven at night. Additionally, the long queue was being serviced by only seven front desk registration staff. Needless to say, the wait time to register was not insignificant.

Fortunately after my long wait in the queue, the individual, Avi-Anna, who completed by registration, was pleasant and extremely efficient. And in little time, I found myself navigating my way through the throngs of people in the lobby and on the casino floor to the elevator lobby and my room

Overall, the stay at the MGM Grand was pleasant and I would rate as above average. My concerns with the short three night stay was the lack of a black-out curtain in the room and the now standard guest rip-off of the $37 daily resort fee. As a result, the night time Vegas lights kept the room illuminated and I fed the “greed” of Resort owners along The Strip.

One positive aspect with staying at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, which also doubled as the host hotel for the conference, was that guests have little reason to leave the hotel and casino since food, entertainment, sleep, nightlife, and Starbuck’s were all contained within the four walls.

Norwegian Cruise Line 2019 Encore Moments Contest

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encoremoments.ncl.com/

REWARDING EVERYDAY HEROES – Norwegian Cruise Line

64 CRUISES TO BE AWARDED!

Norwegian Cruise Line believes in celebrating and thanking people whose acts of kindness and compassion make a difference in the lives of their friends and families, and within their communities. That’s why, to celebrate the debut of our latest innovative ship, Norwegian Encore, we are bringing hometown heroes to the forefront.

Nominate those who deserve an encore –including you! Tell us why your nominee is an everyday hero, then cast your vote.

The top candidates from the U.S. and Canada will receive a free cruise for two and an exclusive invitation to an award ceremony on Dec. 16 in New York City (including airfare and accommodations).

Be sure to share your submission on social media to encourage more votes and support Encore Moments!

  • Entry Period- The Contest begins at 1:30:00 PM Eastern Time (“ET”) on Wednesday, September 18, 2019 and ends at 11:59:59 PM ET on Friday, October 18, 2019.
  • Eligibility – In order to nominate an everyday hero or yourself, you must be a current legal resident of the 50 United States (including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico), who is at least thirteen (13) years of age or older at the time of submitting your nomination, unless you are nominating yourself as a Nominee, in which case you must be twenty-one (21) years of age or older to be a Nominee.

17 Best Places to Visit in the Caribbean

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Best Places to Visit in the Caribbean
Based on user votes and expert insights, plus factors like accessibility to beaches, tourist attractions and comfortable accommodations, U.S. News compiled a list of the best Caribbean getaways. Help us evaluate next year’s top places by voting for your favorite destinations. And if you’re heading to these ports of call by way of a cruise, visit our ranking of the Best Cruise Lines in the Caribbean »
— Read on travel.usnews.com/rankings/best-caribbean-vacations/

Waikiki Beach

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Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa is centrally located in Waikiki Beach. The property consists of two mid-rise towers. The south tower appears to be the only one of the two recently upgraded with new modern furnishings including heated toilet seats In several of the rooms. The premium ocean view king size bed room will sleep two adults and one child comfortably.

The Marriott resort charges an annoying resort fee of $37 per day. The one certain thing a guest receives for the resort fee is an emptier wallet.

Hotel resorts fees are becoming all to common annoyance at hotel properties that offer nothing in the way of resort like amenities or activities. The additional fee should be rebranded a hotel ‘greed’ fee to reflect its actual purpose.

To visit the alluring Waikiki Beach, hotel guests must cross the busy Kalakaua Avenue. Once across the street, white sand beach and warm Pacific Ocean surf awaits. We advise that guest arrive early to stake out a spot on the crowded beach, especially during the weekend. Also, Marriott’s bellhop has beach chairs available for guests use on a first come, first use basis, and beach towels can be checked out on the third floor pool area.

Hotel’s swimming pools and fitness center are located on the third floor of the hotel. Guests, especially kids, should exercise care jumping into the pool since the depth in the deep end is seven feet. And, the hotel’s jacuzzi is located next to the north tower.

Ride share pick up and drop off occurs from both the main lobby on and the secondary lobby. Either location can be selected on the Uber application.

Raving review and well done to Marriott’s morning concierge, Jing. Jing was engaging, funny and highly effective. She was able to book last minute Pearl Harbor semi-private shuttle transportation for our large group almost effortlessly. And, her sense of humor was delightful.

Food and beverage prices at the hotel are the typical Waikiki pricey. The restaurant and bars do offer daily deals and happy hour pricing for cost savvy travelers. The open air Moana Terrace, which overlooks the beach, offers daily and late evening happy hour. The bar offers their Mai Tai at $8 during happy hour.

Near the hotel, there are several recommended eating establishments that offer good food and with reasonably food and beverages. There is a Hamburger in Paradise restaurant within one block and an Eggs and Things approximately two-and-a-half blocks from the hotel.

A visit to the Pearl Harbor Memorial is a must for those visiting The Hawaiian Island of Oahu. Tickets are free or at low costs directly through the National Park Service website. Or, there are several commercial tour operators, which can be booked through the hotel’s concierge, who offer packages to the Pearl Harbor Memorial, including transportation, at a range of prices.

Overall, we were pleased with the hotel’s amenities, across the street from the beach location in Waikiki and guest services. For the price (except for the annoying resort fee), the hotel exceeded expectations.

Vidanta Riviera Mayan Resort Lessons

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After several fun filled days staying and recreating at Vidanta Riviera Mayan Resort, here are several observations, lessons learned and comments about the sprawling resort located about twenty-five miles south of the Cancun International airport:

  • The included transportation from the airport to resort implies that guests wait “20 to 40 minutes” after checking-in with the rep. Of course, guests should plan to wait the full forty minutes because the rep will not call the van until he can apparently fill the vehicle with passengers. A forty minute wait in the direct sun, heat and humidity of Cancun is not a memorable way to kickoff a vacation.
  • Transit time from airport to resort is approximately twenty-five minutes.
  • Upon arrival at Vidanta, guests are dropped off at the open-air “reception center” to pre-checkin. Once pre-checked, guests are instructed to have a seat by very hot and disinterested Vidanta welcome reception area staff, encouraged to hand their luggage to a porter, and advised to wait for a ride from the reception center to an intermediate transportation hub. Once at the hub, guests either walk to the Mayan Palace lobby or wait for transportation to the lobbies for Vidanta’s other brands.
  • Guests should be prepared for a lot of waiting in non-air conditioned environments after clearing airport immigration and customs and prior to actually getting checked into their Vidanta room especially at the airport and in the Vidanta welcome reception area.
  • One comment…four hours after arriving in Cancun and debarking the aircraft, we finally reached the one bedroom suite on the Mayan Palace side of the resort. The room was clean and spacious, but clearly showed the wear and tear from many guests and years of service.
  • Once checked in, guests will be approached by a hovering resort rep to schedule their “sixty minute” resort information presentation, which he repeatedly stated “…is not a sales pitch to buy a timeshare”. For agreeing to sit for the “sixty minute” (which was actually ninety minutes plus) non-timeshare sales pitch (which is actually a high pressure sale to purchase into the Vida private club), guests will receive a free buffet breakfast, 750 pesos (~$45) room credit and the Vidanta Black card that provides dining and store discounts. The rep will ask guests to relinquish a twenty dollar cash deposit that will be returned prior to the scheduled resort’s sales pitch presentation.
  • The Vida reps convey that the Black Vidanta card offers discounts to restaurants such as two-for-one buffet breakfast, to spa and to store. But, guests must read the Black Vidanta fine print. The buffet breakfast is only available from 11 to Noon daily. Store and other restaurant deals are only available during limited, non peak times and typically limited to appetizers. And, the card does not apply to the grocery store.
  • Mayan Palace (MP) is Vidanta’s lowest tier brand. And, the MP room and furnishings clearly show a lack of upkeep and attention most lower tier brands tend to receive from management. The MP rooms and furnishings were in dire need of renovation and replacement.
  • Since the resort is massive, getting around is by golf carts or trolleys that runs continuously. Or, guests can walk the well marked paths and boardwalks to their destination on the resort.
  • On the MP side, the two trolley run approximately every ten minutes. During peaks times, guests may have to wait a couple of cycles to get a seat on the trolley. The trolley stops at the main pool, the MP lobby and the guest room buildings.
  • Dining options for guests are numerous ranging from French, Italian, Asian, Caribbean, steakhouse and of course, Mexican. Many of the dining options are open-air in the vicinity of the main pool. There are several air conditioned dining options located above Jade. Menu prices for food and beverages tend on the high to expensive. Many guests buy groceries and beverages, and prepare their food to defer the costs of meals.
  • Our first evening, we dined at the staff recommended Havana Moon restaurant which was open air and had a great view of the beach. Food was just okay and ambiance above average. Subsequently, we dined at Frida (Mexican) and Gong (Asian)., both meals were outstanding.
  • The Vida private club sales pitch and presentation started well, but ended poorly once it became apparent to the Vida rep that we would not purchase a private membership. By the end of the two hour plus presentation, the rep was rude, condescending and implied that we owed him something for his time. We reminded the Vida rep that guests are under no obligation to purchase in order to learn about the resort.
  • The rep told several “too good to be true” stories about Vidanta’s benefits. The rep told us ‘as a selling point’ that many Vida owners where earning significant income and profit selling their weeks on sites such as Air BnB. Also, he conveyed that Vidanta was building an amusement park that would be larger than all of Disney World. We thought both statements were tall tales.
  • We walked away from the presentation, despite the Vida rep, impressed with the vision and development of the owner. The Bliss, Grand Bliss, Luxxe and Grand Luxxe brands offered upscale and lavish accommodations. Compared to the higher tier brands, the Mayan Palace brand suffers from a lack of capital reinvestment and has become the ugly duckling of the resort brands.
  • We spent two wonderful afternoons swimming and “chillin” in the large pools located adjacent to Grand Mayan, meeting other guests and just enjoying our vacation at Vidanta.
  • Happy hours are available on the resort during different limited timeframes throughout the day at poolside, in bars and selected restaurants. Most of the offers are two-for-one drinks during these periods.
  • Overall, we enjoyed the Vidanta Riviera Mayan resort and will come back to Vidanta RivieraMayan (never to Mayan Palace). The hospitality staff in the restaurants, bars and poolside were friendly and provided excellent service…just amazing. However, the reception center staff needs a conditioned environment if management expects them to be attentive to arriving guests, and Vida reps need refreshers on veracity and how to treat guests with respect.