Cruising the Mississippi is one of the iconic American trips to make. It conjures up images of riverboat gamblers, the frontier, Huckleberry Finn, the Old South, the Civil War – the list of evocative events and people just goes on. Recently, the idea of holiday makers taking a cruise down the mighty river has seen a revival, with many more travellers opting for this genuinely different and exciting way of seeing the United States.
What many people love about travelling in this way is the kind of access to the countryside and scenery it provides. The Mississippi is a giant waterway, of a size which Europeans, especially those from Britain, often find difficult to conceive. The sheer scale of the river is an impressive display of natural power. It also carries so much resonance and cultural weight in America that the whole length is considered a massive national landmark and any adventure tours along its length will undoubtedly be an experience to remember.

Over 2,300 miles long, the river begins in northern Minnesota and travels all the way to the Gulf of Mexico via 10 states, passing through iconic American towns such as Vicksburg, St Louis, Memphis and New Orleans. The opportunity to stop off in these places is often more convenient than travelling by more conventional means of transport.

As well as visiting these cities, travelers can also explore some of America’s more rural locations, with the river granting access to places more easily in many cases than roads. Civil War battlefields dot the route of the river in certain states, while restored plantations provide an insight into what life was like in the pre-Civil War South.

Elsewhere, there are interesting water-front towns to see, dating from the era when the river was the country’s main travel artery. It also winds through the parts of the American South associated with music such as country, gospel and soul. Memphis, Nashville and New Orleans all have their own unique musical heritage which has influenced not just America but the whole world.

A riverboat trip allows anyone keen on adventure tours to really get a flavor of these towns. Music fans often have to settle for visiting one of these iconic American towns, whereas with a riverboat cruise they can extend their reach to several.

Another kind of American artist’s life can be explored in Hannibal, Missouri. This was the home town of the great Mark Twain (real name Samuel Clemens), possibly the greatest American writer of all time. The author of ‘Huckleberry Finn’ had the Mississippi mud running through his veins, such was his knowledge of the waterway and its people and what better choice of writer to enjoy while cruising is there?

Some trips may also spend time on some of the other watercourses which link to the Mississippi, such as the Ohio or Illinois Rivers. This can broaden the scope of the journey, taking travelers to places slightly off the beaten track. There is also the opportunity to see some of the extraordinary river wildlife of the States, as well as to try and catch some of the catfish which lurk in its muddy currents.

With accommodation and means of travel provided, a Mississippi cruise really suits the adventurous type who prefers a little bit of comfort while they are exploring. As a way of seeing what America really has to offer in terms of scenery, culture, history and wildlife, it really is difficult to beat and certainly cuts down on the hassles associated with driving in the United States.

Author BIO: Fanny Williams is one of the most reputed travel writers. She has travelled far and wide. Here she discusses the highlights of Mississippi River as family vacations location.

At 31 metres long and 15 meters wide, you may think, that’s just an “ordinary” sized super yacht. But Planet Solar boasts something no other yacht has, 38000 photovoltaic cells amassing 537 m2 of 6 blocks of lithium-ion battery, that form the upper deck and provide the energy required to propel the boat through the seas and around the world.

PlanetSolar is a catamaran that runs solely on energy from solar rays. The additional removable parts allow it to expose a total of 537 m2 of photovoltaic surface (solar panels) to the sun. This makes PlanetSolar the biggest solar powered and run vessel in the world.

Due to arrive in Monaco on May 4th for the final stop in its round the world voyage, PlanetSolar, though not as big as some of the other Monaco Yachts, it certainly is more super.

At the end of February a fire broke out on the Costa Allegra which put the sources of electricity on the liner out of action. Primary power sources were destroyed and apparently whatever backups were in place were affected also, meaning that the ship was effectively drifting along without propulsion, light, heat, air-conditioning, proper toilet facilities or the ability to prepare hot food.

A nearby fishing boat managed to reach the Allegra soon after the incident and a kind of emergency operation went into action. Arrangements were made to tow the ship to the Seychelles but the distance involved and the size of the Allegra meant this was a slow operation. Consequently food and lighting equipment had to be delivered to the Allegra by helicopter and there was no more Online Casino Spielen.

One could argue that this is a relatively minor setback for Costa, the company was already having something of a record year in terms of profits before the crash and it will recover in the long run, even if hit with costly legal action emanating from the two incidents. Bookings are down as well.

From a wider perspective for the cruise business though, it’s perhaps serves as a note of caution for a fast-expanding industry that you can never be too careful. Two other cruise lines, Princess Line and Royal Caribbean Line have both seen outbreaks of the nonovirus onboard while Carnival saw 22 of its passengers robbed while on a bus tour while docked in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

At the annual cruise industry get together in Miami recently, Carnival COO Howard Frank emphasised the resilience of the cruise industry when he said that “While most of this attention has been negative, and we are clearly seeing some setbacks in the short term, we have faced similar setbacks in the past, and in each case we have shown tremendous resiliency in bouncing back.”

Travel agents who are the main purveyors of cruise holidays worldwide are fearing that this season (the industry’s busiest) is almost a lost cause with sales figures falling 30% in places, but despite that they hope this will not be a long term issue. 

In a recent travel report by PhoCusWright, a travel research firm, it was estimated that nearly 11 million Americans took a cruise last year, generating an estimated $14.5 billion in revenue for the industry. This year was hoped to be one of relative growth as, like the rest of the travel industry, cruise lines are still recovering from the Great Recession. Despite that 2011 saw the launch of several new mega-ships whose construction started more than three years ago.

The owners of the Concordia, Carnival haven’t said exactly how much bookings have fallen, but it disclosed Monday that in the 12 days following the Concordia capsizing there was a percent decline “in the mid-teens compared to the prior year.” Reservations hit a low on Jan. 16.

Carnival operates 101 ships under several brands including Costa, Carnival, Cunard, Holland America, Princess and Seabourn. It said reservations with the Costa line are “down significantly” but difficult to interpret because many Costa customers were rebooked on other ships because of the loss of the Concordia ship.

“Despite these recent trends, we believe the incident will not have a significant long-term impact on our business,” the company said.Carnival’s statement is the first evidence that passengers are hesitant to embark on cruises after seeing the awful images of the Concordia shipwrecked off the Italian coast.

The international scientific body is pressing the southern european government to restrict ships from travelling near “Culturally and ecologically important areas”. 

Francesco Bandarin, UNESCO’s assistant director general for culture, sent a letter to Italian ministers outlining “longstanding concern over the risk that large cruise liners pose to sites inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List,” according to a statement late yesterday.
Worldwide environmentalists and Authorities have been increasingly concerned at the threat of an oil spill but officials have dismissed reports of a leakage. Other than the huge amounts of diesel in the Cruise liner’s full tanks, fears regarding other contents contaminating the ocean wildlife are coming to the fore. Not only was the ship full of cooking oils and detergents to cook and clean after 4,000 people for a week, but there were 4 swimming pools with chlorinated water (which ordinarily would kill plants and sea life) but also 1000s of electrical items already corroding.
The incident occurred on January 13th 2011, when The Concordia struck rocks near Giglio after the captain, Francesco Schettino, deviated from the planned and mapped route and instead steered the massive cruise ship close to the island, hours after the vessel left a port near Rome for a Mediterranean cruise carrying about 4,200 passengers and crew.
It is reported that the Costa Concordia, though lying on its side on the sea bed in the Mediterranean is stable, with the pumping of the oil from the ship to commence on 28th of January.

In keeping with the video the Collection website uses for its home page the interior of the “mansion” in which the video was shot, casting us back into its world of seaside living. There is direct access to the products section containing inspiring texts, product specifications, 360° views of timepieces with the option of zooming in on key elements and exploded view images allowing the visitor to get to the heart of the models in this new range. The Collection allows all of the harmony of the Hamptons to shine through: the rectangular shape of the initial Art Deco timepiece which inspired the collection has been retained; confidence with a satined domed volume on the case at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock; a generously enhanced curved sapphire crystal; and a curved case side at 3 and 9 o’clock. Other features of the collection are the modern two-toned dials with play on finishing and riveted Arabic numerals. However, the website is not content with merely displaying the models, it also provides information. Through videos which are available in the library section, it is possible to learn all about the Hamptons, the spirit of the place and of those who visited and who left their impression: artists in search of an inspirational haven. Thanks to Alexandre Peraldi, Director of the Design Studio, we can discover the origins of the collection, it stylistic underpinnings, the importance granted to each individual detail and the background of the creator, thus stepping right into the intimacy of not only the new Hampton collection, but also the Baume & Mercier firm. This is an enchanting journey to the heart of an iconic timepiece which allows us to better understand its exceptional nature.

Visit us at http://hampton.baume-et-mercier.com

Baume & Mercier

Founded in 1830, the Swiss Maison d’Horlogerie Baume & Mercier has had a proud track record of producing watches that consistently embody an ideal of excellence and affordable luxury for everyday living. Today, the brand’s four key collections include the classically feminine Linea for women, the sporty-elegant Capeland for men, the timeless Hampton for both men and women, and the Classima, perfect for all occasions and enhanced with new 2011 additions. The dawn of 2011 marks the start of a new chapter in Baume & Mercier’s history. The brand’s new universe is now represented by Seaside Living in the Hamptons, which corresponds to the genuine values of sharing, authenticity, and relaxed elegance. The Hamptons have inspired Baume & Mercier’s new claim: Life is about moments. Baume & Mercier’s mission is to be the natural companion of life’s celebrated moments, such as a birthday or anniversary, a graduation, a first job, or a family reunion, the kind that warms our hearts in any culture and on every continent.

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They have made travel easier by allowing passengers to stay on board ship, even on the night before they leave port and to also make then have more for their money by including more overnight stays at a selection of destinations. The cruises vary in length for seven to nineteen days and there is also a three month cruise.

The cruises will all be all inclusive and they have a selection of offers at the moment so it could be good to look soon take advantage of a promotion. Passengers will be abl et have fine wine and quality spirits, drinks in the lounge and meals at no additional cost, which makes it much easier when planning the cost of the entire holiday. The cruises start at $2755 per person for double occupancy which include transfer and flights.

A new report has stated that we are not going to increase our spend on holidaying for at leasst 4 year.

Consumer spending on holidays is unlikely to return to pre-recession levels until 2014-2015 in line with a pick-up in the economy, according to Mintel’s 2011 British Lifestyles survey.

Last year total expenditure on domestic and overseas holidays, excluding transport on trips abroad such as flights, dropped to a five-year low of £33.4 billion.

Domestic holidays accounted for 60% of 2010 holidays, the same as 2009, but overseas holidays made up more than 60% of total expenditure with £12 billion spent on UK trips and £21.3 billion on holidays abroad.

However, average holiday expenditure increased last year, in part due to increasing UK petrol prices. Just over three-quarters of UK holidays are taken by car.

Mintel’s report forecasts total holiday expenditure will rise gradually to £37 billion in 2015 – the same as it was in 2008.

Senior travel and tourism analyst Tom Rees said: “The economic situation continues to constrain spending with rising inflation, petrol costs and fuel and food bills going up. The recession may have officially ended but it certainly doesn’t feel that way to people making their holiday purchase decisions.”

The report surveyed 2,017 internet users aged over 16 to look at the impact of the economic slowdown on consumers. Almost half (45%) spent less on holidays in the 12 months to June 2011.

Holidays were rated as the third biggest area in which consumers had spent less, behind entertainment and leisure (54%) and food and takeaways (53%). Consumers were less likely to have cut spend on technology and communications, clothing and accessories, and home and garden.

The same poll found 23% would always or mainly priotise price over quality when it comes to buying holidays. “It is particularly interesting people are still willing to go for a bargain even if they do not know the brand,” added Rees.

Overall the number of holidays taken by UK consumers has continued to decrease with a significant drop from 99.2 million in 2009 to 93 million holidays in 2010. Overseas breaks are at their lowest level for more than a decade.

Despite the fall in the number of holidays, domestic holidays have maintained their share of the market. This is set to continue, said Rees, with consumer confidence at a 20 year low.

The domestic holiday trend could continue even when expenditure picks up because of other rising costs such as university tuition fees, he added. “I wonder if we are seeing a rebalancing in favour of domestic holidays more than we have done before. Are people getting used to a new financial reality?”

The survey also shows consumers no longer view holidays as a necessity; four in ten class holidays as a luxury and one in four as a necessary spend, based on a poll of 2,000 people.

The group’s trade facet – All Discovery Cruising has yet to reveal any plans for the Alexander von Humboldt cruise ship, which it successful tendered for in November 2009.

However, an announcement is now expected to be made on September 1, when the group will reveal a raft of investment and development plans for its brands.

Currently the company has three cruise ship brands: Voyages of Discovery, Swan Hellenic and Hebridean Island Cruises.

Voyages of Discovery managing director Alan Murray, who will be at the briefing, would not be drawn on which brand the new ship would form part of but revealed there were plans to refurbish Voyages’ ship Discovery.

This could include creating a more flexible “open” dining policy to attract a younger market of cruise passengers by refurbishing its lido deck. Currently the ship only offers two sittings for dinner.

The current average age is over 50, but Murray is keen to attract cruise passengers between 40 and 50.

Murray said: “We will only get a younger age group by being more flexible on dining. This ship was designed in an era of two sittings so we have to put some effort into that. This is one of the big ticket items.”