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Based in Miami, FL, Carnival Cruise Lines has recently begun testing six embarkation kiosks to improve the check-in process for guests.

Cruise guests who are from the USA, Canada, or are part of the Visa Waiver program are eligible to process their own check-in by swiping their passport plus they can also set up their Sail & Sign card by swiping a valid credit card.

And it’s that easy.  Carnival plans to expand to other ports including Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Houston.

For more information, visit: CarnivalCruiseLines

Here is a unique way to visit Mexico and learn about the culture firsthand by attending the Taste of Playa International Food Festival on September 5, 2009, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

The first annual gourmet sampling event is open to the public and will showcase and celebrate the chefs of over 35 local restaurants throughout Riviera Maya.  Participants include John Gray’s Kitchen, Cocina 38, and the Glass Bar to only name a few.

A portion of the proceeds will go towards providing clean drinking water for the nearby Ak Lu’um International School which teaches physically and developmentally challenged students.

For more information, visit: Taste of Playa

Carnival is offering Hot Summer Savings and Cold Hard Cash as part of their now extended Cash Back offer.

Book a summer cruise by June 30, 2009, and Carnival will load up your Sail & Sign Card with up to $50 per guest for 3-4 day cruises, up to $75 per guest for 5 day cruises, and up to $120 per guest for 6-8 day cruises.

The cash credited to your Sail & Sign Card can be used anywhere onboard the ship or on a shore excursion.  If at the end of the cruise you haven’t used all of your credit, Carnival will refund you cash for any amount you didn’t use.

For more information contact visit Carnival.

The official start of the Atlantic hurricane season is June 1, 2009 and the best defense for a hurricane is to be prepared.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) provides information in regards to hurricane preparedness and what you can do to protect yourself, your family, and your property by directing you to the Emergency Management office in your state.

Weather forecasters have predicted the 2009 season will bring 14 named hurricanes with the potential for 7 of them to become hurricanes while 3 are predicted to become major hurricanes.

For more information, visit the NHC .

The new U.S. border rules of the United States Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) take effect on Monday, June 1, 2009, in accordance with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).

The new rule requires all U.S. citizens entering the United States, returning home from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda, by land or sea, to have documents that comply with the WHTI.  These documents would most commonly be a U.S. Passport, a U.S. Passport Card, or a Trusted Traveler Card (TTC) such as NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST, or an enhanced Driver’s License.

Canadian citizens traveling to the U.S. by land or sea will be required to present one of the following: a Canadian Passport, a TTC such as NEXUS, FAST, or SENTRI, or an Enhanced Driver’s License or Enhanced Identification Card.  Similar WHTI rules have been in effect since 2007 for air travel.  For more information, visit the USDHS .

TripAdvisor recently polled its members to comprise a list of the top places they “will be visiting soon according to their travel maps.”

New York City, USA

Paris, France

Rome, Italy

London, England

Las Vegas, Nevada

Sydney, Australia

Barcelona, Spain

Venice, Italy

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Cancun, Mexico

Please note that a Travel Alert has been issued by the U.S. Department of State warning against travel to Mexico due to the current influenza breakout.  Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada has also issued a travel warning for Mexico.

Today is Earth Day, April 22, 2009.  What better way to celebrate than to take action?

Earth Day events are happening around the world and it’s still not too late to participate!  Attend an educational workshop, a parade, wine tasting, or a concert – find a complete list of events here!

If you can’t attend an event, you can donate, join, or volunteer through the Earth Day Network (EDN).  Even easier - plant a tree or simply switch out an incandescent light bulb!  Everyone can do their part.

Today is also the official kick off for the Green Generation campaign started by EDN whose mission is to provide a healthy, sustainable environment for all people of the world today and for our future.

Happy Earth Day!

Royal Caribbean is asking you to join the ‘Nation of Why Not’, by offering activities that other cruise ships do not such as onboard surfing and rock-climbing walls.

Instead of asking ‘can I?’ citizens of the Nation of Why Not already know that with 21 ships covering 361,000,000 kilometers of ocean terrain, Royal Caribbean is almost its own independent country where anything goes.

With its highly interactive Nation of Why Not website , potential citizens of the Royal Caribbean nation are invited to learn how to say ‘why not’ in 24 languages, learn about their wildlife, holidays or to explore cool activities like ice skating.

And if you’d like to book a cruise on Royal Caribbean, you can do that, too.

Couchsurfing is a simple travel concept – it’s a network of people from around the world that have one thing in common besides the desire to travel.  That’s the desire to travel for free.

Located in Berkeley, CA, this non-profit organization has been helping people connect worldwide through the CouchSurfing website.  It’s free to use – simply join by creating a user profile, decide when and where you’d like to travel, do a search for other members in that area, and “request to CouchSurf” with those members of interest. 

How you choose to CouchSurf is up to you.  You can request accommodation or simply meet for a drink or coffee at the destination of your choice, plus you can host a similar encounter in your neck of the woods to others.  There is no pressure to accept or decline a hosting experience.

With over 1 million members in 232 countries worldwide, the majority of CouchSurfers are in Europe which provides a wealth of opportunities for those members in North America to go abroad.  According to CouchSurfing.com, the top 5 CouchSurfing cities are Paris, London, Berlin, Montreal and Vienna with 27 being the average age of travelers.

Next to Disneyland, it would be hard to find a geographic area that caters to families as much as California does.  My second choice?  The Mayan Riviera of Mexico, of course.

The Mayan Riviera or Riviera Maya as it’s known in Mexico, consists of the northern Yucatan Peninsula from Cancun south to Felipe Carrillo Puerto, and everything in between.

Families can expect some of the best accommodations, activities, and food around for some of the best all-inclusive choices in the country:

• Beaches – powdery white sand beaches with endless opportunities for walking, beachcombing, building sandcastles (don’t forget sunblock and your camera!)
• Caribbean Sea – here you can try snorkeling or scuba diving, sailing, swimming
• Topside – experience the Mayan culture by visiting any number of area ruins, explore the area by renting a car or taking a tour, visit the eco-park, Xcaret, for the day, take a ferry ride to Cozumel for the day, plus shopping galore
• Restaurants – serve delicious local and American cuisine to keep even the pickiest of kids happy while the low prices will be sure to keep Mom & Dad happy
• Accommodations – one of the best bargains for families is the all-inclusive, look for one that offers children’s activities with a large pool and several on-site restaurants

Mexico has long been known for its hospitality and the Riviera Maya does not disappoint.  This is a great location to combine a vacation of fun with culture and learning without the kids even knowing it.

PS. Please take note of the current Travel Advisory for Mexico issued for citizens of Canada and the United States.