Superferry to Kaua'i Suspended

I recently posted an enthusiastic entry on this blog about the then-impending fast catamaran service between O'ahu and both Maui and Kaua'i. Today came the following press release:

HONOLULU – At a press conference held at its offices today, Hawaii Superferry management announced the company is suspending its Kauai service indefinitely after being informed by the U.S. Coast Guard that it would not be able to assure safe passage for the vessel into Nawiliwili Harbor.

“Our top priority is to operate a safe and reliable ferry system for Hawaii’s residents. When that can be accomplished, we will resume service,” said Hawaii Superferry president and CEO John Garibaldi.

For passengers who have traveled on our Oahu/Kauai service that are impacted by this suspension of service, Hawaii Superferry will pay for their return air fare, ground transportation, hotel accommodations, car shipment and other related expenses.

Customers who have already booked passage will be issued refunds upon request to the company’s website of reservations center. The Hawaii Superferry website can be found at www.hawaiisuperferry.com and the reservation line is (808) 853-4175. Customers can also contact Hawaii Superferry by email at CustomerCare@HawaiiSuperferry.com

Windjammers Sail in Troubled Waters

A lifetime ago, I took a Windjammer sailing trip operated by Captain Mike Burke's Windjammer Barefoot Cruises. I flew to Martinique and spent a few nights in a funky hotel in Fort-de-France, the island's capital that at the time had no cruise-ship pier. Only one (for the time) big ship could anchor and tender its passengers in for a flurry of local activity. When the passengers, laden with shopping bags from small branches of prestigious French department stores, reboarded their ship, the town immediately settled down and had a quiet colonial ambiance. I was living in New York at the time, and Fort-de-France was a fine place to decompress before boarding a vintage sailing ship for trip through the Grenadine Islands. The ship on which we traveled called on such then-quiet islands as St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Petit St. Vincent, Grenada, Bequia and Carriacou. We sailed and sunbathed and beachcombed and snorkeled and drank rum punches and rented Mini-Mokes here and there to sightsee. Very low-key, and quite idyllic, at least as I remember the trip.

Now. it seems that Windjammer Barefoot Cruises and its ships are in trouble -- with the beautiful Mandalay, a 1923 tall ship (shown in happier times, above left) in especially rocky condition. According to a Wall Street Journal report titled "A Rough Tide on Windjammer Cruises," reads in part:

"Labor disputes with crew members docked two ships owned by the company
over the past couple of weeks, stranding some passengers...Windjammer has had
labor dispute issues on all four of its ships over the past two weeks. The
common complaint: Crew hadn't been paid in weeks. Jerry Ceder, who on Monday
identified himself as a spokesman for TAG Virgin Islands Corp., the investment
company that is in the process of purchasing Windjammer from a family trust,
told reporters Monday that TAG Virgin Islands had paid the crews...But according
to a person familiar with the matter, the crew of the Mandalay still
hadn't been fully paid as of yesterday morning and it was unclear if the ship
will be able to sail for its scheduled cruise this coming Sunday. Emails
obtained by The Wall Street Journal that were written by the captain of
the Mandalay to Windjammer officials and the ship's agent confirm that the
company has been experiencing financial difficulties for some time....The other
issue is one of safety and the inability to get necessary repairs on the
Mandalay because of inadequate funds, the captain said in the email....AIG
Travel Guard, which issues travel insurance, says its claims department was
looking into whether the company should be put on its financial default list
after it received word from a travel agent about the situation."

A recent post on cruisecritic.com warned: "Windjammer is a failing company. Ships have been seized and remain in port for non-payment of port fees, crew wages, and fees to suppliers of other necessities. The crews have initiated a strike on several of the ships for non-payment of wages and tips. The ships are in poor repair. The Mandalay recently broke a bowsprit that was apparently rusted through. I wonder how thin and rusty the hulls on the ships of this company are. I have heard that some passengers were stranded and not allowed to board. Good luck if you're scheduled for a cruise with this company. I would certainly have a plan "B" in place."

Windjammer Barefoot Cruises' website gives is no indication of trouble. When I clicked on the "Press" section, the page reported that there are no press releases for August 2007. Wall Street Journal reporter Nancy Keates might have successfully reached a company spokesman, but they certainly are not pro-actively enlightening the press or their prospective passengers on their current troubles.

Ski Like a Lord of the Manor -- in the Rockies

It might be high summer, but for selected ski-country properties, you'd better book now. One such is Moving Mountains, which combines the British ski custom of renting a chalet with personalized and luxury service rather than a hotel room or apartment. Moving Mountains, started with one couple, one dog and one chalet. Now, there is one couple, one dog, two children and nine chalets. The couple is Robin (he's English) and Heather (she's American) Craigen.

Before beaching themselves in the Rockies, they operated a sailboat charter out of the British Virgin Islands, sailing around with groups of clients, accommodating their sports, shopping and sightseeing wants, and fueling them with cooked-aboard meals. When they dropped anchor at Steamboat and launched Moving Mountains, they sought to combine the personalization of sailing charters with luxurious private accommodations, with or without a private chef for some of all meals. They now manage luxurious chalets on the mountain at Steamboat. (The map, above right, shows the location of the chalets but does not reflect the replacement of the old Christie chairlifts with a new high-speed version and other base area changes.)

These beautifully furnished chalets range from three bedrooms and a loft to 12 bedrooms -- perfect for a family, group of friends or even executive ski retreat for a nightly (or usually longer) getaway, with a variety of meal plans and with lots of elbow room for all.

In addition to real spaciousness and true privacy (including a private hot tub), guests have the option of preparing their own meals in a gourmet kitchen, fry high-speed Internet, concierge service for dining or spa reservations, complimentary shuttle service Moving Mountains' Suburbans to and from the airport, any Steamboat lift base or downtown. The price might seem high, but when you divide the rate by the number of people, factor in that you won't need a rental car and that MM has access to discounted air fares and lift tickets, the per-person rate should not be all that scary. I'm not including rates here, because the structure is complicated and depends on the specific chalet, how many people are using it, specific week and so on.

An Irreverent Look at a Reverent Airline

The president of the United States has Air Force One and Marine One at his disposal. Actually, any plane or helicopter carrying the president is so designated for the duration of the flight. When I read the headline, "The Pope Launches His Own Airline," I thought that perhaps the Vatican was planning to trump the White House and provide His Holiness with his own personal fleet. But that's not what this Travel Wire News headline was all about

According to a Reuters report, "Mistral Air plans to shuttle Catholic pilgrims around the globe to holy sites, including the shrine of Fatima in Portugal and the shrine of the Madonna of Guadalupe in Mexico. 'The spirit of this new initiative is to meet the growing demand by pilgrims to visit the most important sites for the faith,' Father Cesare Atuire at the Vatican pilgrimage office, the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, told La Repubblica daily.

"Repubblica said Mistral Air's slogan ["I'm Searching for Your Face, Lord"] will be emblazoned on material throughout the aircraft, which will be operated by Italy's postal service. The debut charter flight late this month will be to the shrine of Lourdes in France, and will lure pilgrims with one added bonus -- the guide will be Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the former head of the Italian Bishops Conference, Repubblica said."

Actually, Mistral Air has been around for some time, flying mail for the Italian post office and cargo. The Vatican-sanctioned pilgrimage flights are the new part. Three thoughts popped into my head. First, Middle Eastern and Asian airlines have been flying pilgrimage flights to Mecca for decades; it's only the Roman Catholic spin that's new. This, in turn, made me think of of CNN's current series by Christiane Amanpour called "God's Warriors," comparing ultra-faithful Christians, Moslems and Jews and the extreme lengths they go to for their beliefs.

Second, I thought that President George W. Bush, with his in-your-face Born Again Christianity would love to have a pilgrimage airline, if only evangelical Christians had pilgrimage places (Jerry Falwell's grave perhaps?). Finally, it occurred to me that while these Vatican charters will be bringing Catholic pilgrims to places where the Blessed Virgin miraculously appeared, tycoon Richard Branson launched Virgin Airlines years ago. I briefly wondered whether the Vatican considered chartering aircraft from Branson, but quickly concluded, probably not.

Free Electronics Charging Stations at LAX

Here's something to celebrate at the world's fifth-busiest airport: Samsung Mobile has installed charging stations for electronic devices in all terminals at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), allowing travelers to recharge mobile phones, laptops and other personal electronics -- free. Fifty-one pole-like stations have been installed at boarding areas in Terminals 1 through 8 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Each station has four outlets, designed to recharge personal electronics designed for U.S. voltage (i.e., 120 volts). A small shelf holds this electronic equipment.

Pete Skarzynski, Samsung Mobile's senior vice president, said “To celebrate Samsung’s 10th anniversary, we are sponsoring the Samsung Mobile Charging Stations for travelers’ use at LAX free of charge.” He did not indicate whether facility is free only for the anniversary period or will continue to be free.

These kiosks, identifiable by their 8 1/2-foot height and white lettering on a blue background, should be a great improvement over the need to wander around, looking for an outlet somewhere near the floor while waiting to board a flight.

Hawaii Superferry Debuts on August 28

When I first heard about a new fast ferry as an inter-island option, I was pretty excited, and when we were Hawaii in June (see June 15 to July 2 posts on this blog), I wished that the ferry was already in service. I would love to have traveled from O'ahu to Kaua'i and back by sea. However, while we were there, the Alakai was making her way through the Panama Canal (right) in a dramatic night-time passage. This poweful catamaran-style ferry will make her maiden voyage on August 28, offering one daily trip in each direction between O'ahu and Maui and one a day (except Saturday) between O'ahu and Kaua'i six days a week.

Each trip will take three hours and cost $44 Tuesday through Thursday and $54 Friday through Monday with a 14-day advance purchase. Without an advance purchase, fares are $52 and $62 respectively. There are discounts for ages 62 and over, youngsters 12 and under and retired military. An upgrade to lounge seating is $20, and at the moment, there is a fuel surcharge, which is recalculated each month and currently adds a whopping 30.8 percent to each ticket.

Even though travel is by sea rather than by air, airline-style procedures are in effect. Print your your own boarding pass if you wish. Arrive at least 30 minutes before departure. Carry a government-issued ID (ages 18 and older). Put an identification tag on each piece of checked baggage. Beward if the per-passenger allowance two checked bags weighing no more than 50 pounds each, plus only two personal carry-on bags or packs. Oversized or excess luggage will be subject to additional fees. Just like the airlines, as I said.

What is unlike the airlines is that the Alakai can carry vehicles, which makes it a wonderful option for island-hopping visitors who prefer to rent one car and only one car. The Superferry is also welcomes passengers with disabilities and is wheelchair-accessible throughout, with ramps that make ferry entrance, exit and movement on board easy; a lift for passengers with limited mobility and wheelchairs to get from deck to deck; and outlets for those who need a power supply for their medical equipment. Even passenger representatives on board and on land are trained to assist passengers.

A second Superferry is expected in 2009, when service to the Big Island of Hawai'i will begin.

A Cartoonist's View of Air Travel

The "Loose Parts" cartoon in today's paper shows the top of man's head popping out of a "PheddExx" shipping box with air holes in the lid, telling the clerk, "They don't feed you. You can't carry anything on. The seats are uncomfortable....What's the difference?" To see the drawing, go to the website, click on "Archives" and then click on 8-17-2007.