On our recent trip to Europe, Will and I were fortunate enough to travel in Continental’s BusinessFirst cabin which was complete with their new flat bed seats. This was the first time we experienced a fully flat bed seat and it is so much nicer than the typical angled flat seats. I always slip down the angled seats and they usually leave me with sore knees, but being fully flat actually allows you to sleep comfortably. Currently, all of Continental’s 777s and 757-200s are fitted with the new seats and they will roll them out on their 767-400ERs next year. In addition, all of their new 787s will be built with fully flat seats. I might have to fly Continental more often!

Continental Flat Bed Seats

Even though Will and I are not big cruise people, I always wanted to take a trip on one of Cunard’s Queen ships. They seemed so romantic and elegant, the way transatlantic crossings used to be. The Queen Mary 2 typically sails between New York and Southampton, England but occasionally she makes longer or shorter trips. When I heard about the 4th of July cruise, out of New York with stops in Halifax and Boston, I thought it would be the perfect way for us to check out the majestic vessel.

Date: July 2011

Embarking/Disembarking: The QM2 usually sails out of Brooklyn, NY but our special cruise left from the Manhattan port. The pier was crowded and disorganized as there was a Carnival ship boarding at the same time. It took hours to get checked in and we couldn’t find the bag drop so we were stuck dragging our suitcases around. Once we got on the ship, the elevators were messed up and it took quite a long time to get to our room. Disembarking was much easier when we returned. We chose to carry our own bags so we could get right off the ship when it docked. We just listened for an announcement and were off in minutes.

Cabins: Cunard ships are broken up into three classes. First and second class are, in order, the Queens Grill and the Princess Grill. Guests in these classes have suites, separate restaurants and separate decks to lounge on. Everyone else is in the Britannia Class which eats in the two-story Britannia dining room and has access to all the common areas. The Britannia rooms range from tiny, inside staterooms to larger, balcony staterooms. Some of the balconies are in-hull, which means they are enclosed like a sitting room, while others are outdoor. Apparently the in-hull rooms are ideal during a windy, rainy crossing but, since we were just going up the coast of New England, we booked an open balcony room. The room was a bit worn, but spacious and we loved being able to sit outside, especially on the 4th of July when fireworks were going off in every direction. The beds are pretty comfortable although the pillows are flat and horrible. The bathrooms were also spacious for a cruise ship and the shower pressure and temperature was excellent. We were on Deck 8 at the very front of the ship and it was smooth and peaceful, but we could hear our neighbors on their balconies if we were outside at the same time. If someone is out chatting or playing music, you definitely couldn’t do any quiet reading.

The Ship: As I’d imagined, the Queen Mary 2 is very elegant. The common areas are beautiful from the gorgeous grand lobby with its glass elevator, to the stunning Queens Room, the largest ballroom at sea. There is no shortage of things to do and places to explore and because the ship is so large, it never feels crowded. There’s a nice little art gallery, a big fitness center, a spa, a planetarium (tickets are available every morning on a first come, first served basis), many shops and several bars and clubs where you can have a nice drink and just enjoy the ride. There are nightly shows, mostly dancers, which were pretty good and there is a casino with 115 slot machines and 11 gaming tables. Of course, there are also pools and plenty of lounge chairs to relax in outside if the weather permits.

Meals: There are three meals a day served in the dining rooms. In the Queens and Princess Grill Dining Rooms, you can show up within an allotted time frame for your meals or have them served in your suite. In the Britannia, you can do the same for breakfast and lunch, but you are assigned a table at a specific seating time for dinner. There are three courses with several options every night for each. There are vegetarian selections, but there is also a separate vegetarian menu that you can order from in advance, the night before as long as you let them know of your dietary restrictions ahead of time. The quality of the meals varied widely. Some nights they were good and some nights not so much. In my opinion, the food was not gourmet, it was often very heavy and sometimes tasteless. Food is also available, buffet style, in the King’s Court. I didn’t like the food there at all. Afternoon tea is served every day in the Queens Room and this was my favorite eating experience on the ship. White gloved waiters served us cups of tea with sandwiches, tasty little cakes and scones with clotted cream. There is also a Todd English restaurant and special themed dining experiences which you can reserve tables at for an additional fee. We didn’t try any of these so I can’t review them.

NOTE: Although the dress code on the ship is relaxed during the day, there are strict dress codes for eating dinner in the dining rooms. They are formal, semi-formal or elegant, but you are expected to dress for dinner every night and the dress code is enforced. You are never going to see jeans or sneakers at night in any of the dining rooms. If you don’t want to dress up, you have to go to the buffet or order food to your room.

Ports of Call: Our cruise had stops in Halifax, Canada and Boston, MA. Although there were excursions offered for an additional fee we opted to explore the cities on our own. In Halifax, it was an easy walk over to the Citadel, an old, British military fort on a hill. There were actors dressed as soldiers that put on a demonstration with an old cannon. You can take a guided tour or just walk around the stone fortress on your own. From the top, you have an excellent view of the town. We also visited the pretty Public Gardens and the many shops around the cruise port. As I’m from Boston, we had been there many times and seen all the sights. We walked from the ship to the Institute of Contemporary Art and made a stop at Mike’s Pastry in the North End to pick up some amazing cannolis and a lobster tail before reboarding the ship. We didn’t have a great view of the Pops fireworks from the ship, but we could see them.

Overall Impression: While sailing on the QM2 wasn’t exactly luxurious, it was definitely nicer than the average cruise. It was a bit overpriced, but had we not travelled over a holiday, I think I would have found the fares more reasonable. I wouldn’t recommend it for children because it is expensive and not really setup for kids but, for a couple or group of adults, it’s a nice trip.

Grade: B

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

Queen Mary 2 Official Site

Before a recent trip to Las Vegas, Will received an e-mail with a great offer to stay at the Aria hotel in the brand new City Center complex. Although we all know that staying at a new hotel can be dicey, we figured a luxury property would have to be running relatively smoothly.

Date: December 2009

Parking: Since construction continues on City Center, parking was a mess. There was no back entrance to the self parking lot and we missed the entrance twice forcing us to circle back around the strip. Eventually we used the valet which we stumbled upon by accident. We figured this would make life easier, but the pickup is in a different location so getting our car back was as much a hassle as dropping it off had been.

Check-in/Check-out: We had no wait at the front desk and the woman who helped us was very nice. Although she didn’t have a record of the promotion we had booked, she called a manager over who was able to correct our account. Although it took longer than average, we were satisfied and were given a room on a high floor as requested. Check-out went smoothly and our bill was accurate.

Room: We stayed in a standard room and since we were the first or second guest to stay there it was very clean. Our view was not of the strip, but it was still nice from the floor to ceiling windows. Everything in the room was controlled via a small computer screen on the night table which was somewhat tricky to figure out. I knocked it over during the night causing the curtains to fly open and all the lights to turn on. Overall the room was decent and the bed was comfortable but it seemed unfinished. Wires dangled from the TV, our heat didn’t work, a handle fell off a bathroom drawer and one of the lights above the bed was dangerously loose. I was not impressed at all with the bathroom. The connected shower and bath were strange, the water pressure was horrible, and the sinks had little counter space and splashed water everywhere when used.

Overall Impression: It seemed like a lot of things were thrown together to get the Aria open ASAP even though it’s not really ready. Although all of the employees were very nice, many of them didn’t yet know how things work at the hotel. Hopefully, it will improve with time but I don’t think there should be such a steep learning curve at a 5 star accommodation.

Grade: D+

Date: November 2009

Route: Newark-Lisbon Round-trip

Check-in: Although we were able to select our seats in advance by phone, there was no online check-in so we had to get to the airport early and do it in person. Since we were flying business class, we had a dedicated line and there was no wait but the coach lines weren’t crowded either. In Lisbon, we had access to a special security line and the TAP lounge which had a nice food spread but was crowded and noisy. TAP has no lounge in Newark, but we were given passes to the Virgin Atlantic lounge which was quiet but sparse with no food offered other than bags of pretzels and chips.

Plane: Boarding was fast and easy, even in Lisbon where we had to board by bus. Executive class was given a separate bus and entrance onto the plane which was very efficient as it allowed economy to board simultaneously on another staircase. The business class seats were comfortable to sit in but hard to sleep in. They are cradle-style seats that don’t lean back but slide forward and are angled flat so your head is up and your feet down. It was like sleeping on a hard seesaw with no back support. The cabin temperature was all over the map, sweltering one minute and freezing the next. Although I love being up front, I’ve definitely slept better in a coach seat. We had two bathrooms set aside for business class which meant we rarely had to wait for a turn.

Service: The attendants on both flights were cheerful and attentive. We were given great vanity kits that could hang from the seat back in front of you and were filled with lots of useful things to use during the flight like eye shades, socks and lotion. We were given plenty of drinks, bottled water and a meal service consisting of an appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert. The food was bland and only slightly better than you would expect in coach.

Verdict: Although the TAP employees try hard, top executive class feels more like premium economy than first.

Grade: C

Date: June 2009

Price from New York to Boston: $358/person including taxes. This is $140 more than a regular seat on the Acela, but after taking this trip for years and dreading it, I decided to find out if it was worth it.

Check-in: Check-in is a breeze at an Amtrak kiosk. Just scan the bar code on a printout of your confirmation e-mail and your tickets pop out. You can also go to an agent if necessary. With the First Class ticket, you have access to the Club Acela lounges located in both places. I didn’t arrive early enough at the stations to take advantage of this so I can’t rate the lounges. When I boarded in Boston, it seemed that the other first class passengers were already on the train so I believe an agent brought them directly from the lounge before the other passengers were allowed to board.

Train: The train was worn, but the seats seemed newer and clean. They were all leather, big and comfortable. There were single, double and quad seat configurations. Not all of the tray tables worked properly and some seats reclined more than others so I had to test a couple before I found one I liked. Overall, I liked the setup and felt it allowed for a decent amount of privacy and peace. The bathroom was standard, but clean and less crowded since it was reserved for the First Class car. Although the car wasn’t empty on either trip, unlike the main part of the train it wasn’t packed full so I felt I had room to spread out and a good choice of seats both ways.

Service: Amtrak is not known for being on time and, in fact, I arrived in Boston an hour and a half late on my departure. Luckily, I planned for this and took an earlier train. There are one or two attendants assigned to the First Class car that provide at seat drink and meal service during the ride. At boarding, you are immediately offered a drink and a menu with a limited selection of food items. I found the lunch service more complete and better than breakfast. The food itself was not quite as good as what you would be served on a first class flight, but it wasn’t bad. For the remainder of the ride, the attendants came down the aisle frequently to offer more drinks and bottled water to the passengers.

Verdict: I really enjoyed the Acela First Class car. Was it amazing? No, but it definitely made the trip more comfortable and it felt faster. I absolutely think it was worth the extra money and I would do it again on my next visit to Boston.

Grade: B-

JetBlue understands that some people don’t like to travel without their 4 legged friend so they’ve introduced a new program called JetPaws. Enroll your dog or cat for free and you’ll receive a downloadable pet travel guide, a pet carrier travel tag and, best of all, TrueBlue points for your pet’s ticket!

JetPaws

Date: December 2008

Price from New York to Las Vegas: $418.50/person including taxes. This seemed like a good holiday airfare when I booked it but when the economy tanked so did ticket prices. Since we had already paid just $42.50 less then the cost of a round trip Main Cabin Select ticket, I paid the difference and upgraded us. On the way back, we were able to upgrade to First Class for an additional $150/person. If First Class is available, you can always upgrade from a regular economy ticket at the airport for $250/person.

Check-in: VA has online check-in so we printed our boarding passes and were ready to go.

Plane: The planes looked new and clean. The leather seats are the most comfortable economy seats I’ve ever sat in and the seat back TV screens were great. Premium movies, games and Wi-Fi (when available) cost extra in coach. First Class seats have a massage function though it isn’t as nice as a typical massage chair. Main Cabin Select seats are simply the exit and bulkhead rows but, in addition to more legroom, you get priority boarding, reserved overheard space and free snacks. The snacks and legroom were nice but, on one leg of the flight, boarding was a free for all and I saw non Select passengers putting their luggage in the “reserved” bins. Also, I noticed some late passengers got assigned to Main Cain Select without paying the premium fare. It’s not really worth it unless the price drops after you’ve already bought a ticket and the difference is small.

Service: Virgin America aims to build a loyal customer base by providing the best service in the industry. One of their tactics is to deliver food and drinks that you order by touch screen directly to your seat. This would be cool if it worked. Will had to order food three times before the flight attendants could see it on their screen and I noticed others having the same problem. On top of that, the staff blamed the passengers for not ordering correctly. The flight attendants also seemed to resent having to run around serving people and complained about their lack of space at the back of the plane. Now I may agree with them that serving people and having no space is annoying, but since service is VA’s selling point, they shouldn’t be complaining out loud. Once it arrived, the food was pretty good.

Verdict: Virgin America has all the tools and amenities in place to become the top U.S. airline. Their biggest problem is they don’t provide the great service they promise. Right now, I think Jetblue tops them in the service category. They are a fairly new airline and may still be working out their procedures so I would give them another try if the price was right.

Grade: B-

Date: November 2008

Price from New York: $561.45/person including taxes. When I booked this over the summer it was a good price, but there are better deals now with the softened economy.

Check-in: Seat selection was not allowed in advance and neither was online check-in, a combo that stressed me out as I dreaded being stuck in a middle seat between two strangers. Luckily, no such scenario occurred. The check-in counter was a breeze in both New York and Reykjavik. Tip: If you have computer access in Iceland, log on to the SAS Airlines website 22 hours before your flight, choose check-in and enter your name and booking reference. Although you will not be able to complete check-in, you will be able to choose your seats for your return flight to the United States.

Plane: Icelandair recently renovated their planes adding an Economy Comfort class and seat-back entertainment centers. The “new” planes pretty much look like any other. At double the price of standard Economy, Economy Comfort seats are not worth it. They are in the same cabin as standard Economy, right next to a bathroom and offer just one additional inch of legroom. Standard legroom was average. The bathrooms were a bit grungy and the movies selections were old but I enjoyed the GPS maps that let me track our flight progress.

Service: Although drinks are free, food is not unless you are sitting in one of the premium classes. A limited selection of sandwiches and candy are offered for purchase. I can’t comment on the quality of the food as I didn’t try any of it. Service was slow but the flight attendants were friendly and nice.

Verdict: Overall I had some annoyances but no major complaints with Icelandair. I’d like to see them allow advance seat selection and give passengers a complimentary snack. I would say the flight was average; not the best, but not the worst either.

Grade: C-

I just got back from a trip to Rome, Italy and I flew the airline Eurofly. I was nervous when I booked with them because I didn’t know anything about them and I couldn’t find much information online. Now that I’ve travelled with them, I’d like to share my experience.

Date: May 2007

Price: $368/person including taxes. This was an amazing deal.

Check-in: They issued paper tickets and seats had to be chosen at the airport. Seats are arranged in a 2-4-2 pattern. Arriving 3 hours before our flight wasn’t enough to get a coveted exit row but we were able to at least get in a two seater. In NY we checked right in but in Rome, check in was a nightmare. The staff waited for over an hour while the entire flight seemed to show up before they finally opened check in. The line was at least 100 people long and was kept in no particular order. Even first class passengers had to stand and wait an unacceptable amount of time. They were painfully slow at the counter and rude when asked any questions.

Plane: I can’t comment on first class as I didn’t see it, but in coach, legroom was nonexistent. It seemed like they used every last inch to squeeze in as many seats as possible. I’ve flown a lot of airlines and I know most are tight, but this was horrible. When the person in front of me reclined their seat, they were literally in my lap, I had no access to my bag in front of me and I could barely squeeze out to the aisle for a bathroom break. I’m 5’1 so I can’t imagine how a tall person would get through this. The only positive thing I can say about the plane was that the seats were equipped with individual TVs which is always nice.

Food: The food was hands down the worst I’ve ever had in the air. My vegetarian meal was plain white rice and spinach….no sauce…not even salt. It was stuck together and gross. My snack was a piece of eggplant between two slices of bread….again, no condiments of any kind. Will, who eats meat got a slice of plain ham in bread. They didn’t serve enough food or water for such a long flight, but as it was mostly inedible maybe it was for the best.

Verdict: I would never fly this airline again. Had I not gotten this special deal and paid $800 for my ticket I would have been furious. The service was terrible from start to finish. Flying coach is never particularly fun, but on Eurofly you are truly treated like cattle. Calling this airline no frills is too kind. This was the worst flight experience I’ve had to date.

Grade: F