Voluntourism

I love blended words!

From the age old "spork" we used in school, to the "Spanglish" my dear friend from Ecuador speaks, I just love the way they sound and I delight every time I hear a new one!

There have been a few new "blended" travel terms that have circulated recently. When the economy took a downturn (and gas prices an upturn) people started taking vacations close to home, sometimes not even leaving their immediate area. From this dismal time period came the word "staycation". A mixture of "stay" (obviously) and "vacation". I'm not a fan! I don't know about you but, as a traveler and a travel agent, I just can seem to get behind that concept.


Lately there's a new word on the tongues of travelers and humanitarians alike: "Voluntourism". I won't insult your intelligence by explaining the word (blended words are pretty self-explanatory) however, I could go on and on about the thousands of win-win examples of volunteer travel. When most people think of volunteer travel, images of building houses and schools usually comes to mind. While these are important and essential efforts, not everyone is cut out for construction! And that's not a problem! From working at a sea turtle hatchery in Central America to teaching children English in Thailand to working for a whale and dolphin research project on a 21' sailboat in the Western Mediterranean, voluntourism opportunities are quite limitless!


Now before you start packing your bags, know this: volunteer travel doesn't always mean "free" travel! While there are a few low cost options, most of the opportunities can be quite expensive. But how do you put a price on giving the gift of home to person displaced by a natural disaster? What about the opportunity to help small 3rd world farmers convert from conventional to organic farming methods. Then there's my personal favorite: working with a marine conservation expedition in the Seychelles. There are trips to match almost every pocketbook, comfort level and skill set.


Travel combined with doing something good for our planet or fellow man... now that's a concept I can get behind!


For more information and great links check out this recent article in Budget Travel

Royal Caribbean Announces Entertainment Upgrade!

Royal Caribbean recently announced that its newest ship, Allure of the Seas, will feature a production of the Tony Award-winning Chicago: the Musical when she debuts this December!

Finally Cruise ship entertainment standards are becoming more realistic! No longer will Simon Cowell be able to say "Well, it was kinda like a cruise ship performance" (unless he means it as a compliment). Matt Hannafin of Frommers.com recently blogged: "I've been complaining for years that the shows aboard most cruise ships are . . . what's the word? Oh yeah: sucky. Or at the very least fluffy and trite and designed with the lowest common denominator in mind..."

This decision, based on the success of Hairspray on the Allure's sister ship Oasis, has the company planning similar upgraded to its slightly smaller freedom class ships. These upgrades will include: Similar Broadway-style musicals, family musicals, and big-screen entertainment (18.5-foot outdoor video screens will be installed above the main family pool area and will show movies and entertainment programs throughout the cruise).