Jaunted

Tags: Cruises / Oasis of the Seas / Cruising / Dangerous Travel / Royal Caribbean / Seasickness / Motion Sickness / → All Tags

New Oasis of the Seas Hits Monster Waves in First Transatlantic Crossing

The brand new, unbelievably huge Oasis of the Seas cruise ship has been rocked by some serious waves on its first voyage. As USA Today points out, the 5,400-passenger vessel encountered hurricane-strength winds and waves over 60 feet high in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic. Fortunately for the cruise line, there aren't any passengers on board, as Royal Caribbean is merely transporting it from the shipyard in Turku, Finland to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for its inaugural cruise. But while many passengers would have likely gotten seasick, they wouldn't have been in any serious peril, as the ship has weathered the waves quite smartly. For maximum stability, Captain William Wright has slowed the world's largest cruise ship down and steered it head-on into the waves. He probably wouldn't admit it, but I bet he's having fun.

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Tags: Drug Travel / Drugs / MIA / Crime / → All Tags

A Drug Bust Of Bootleg Little Blue Pills Is Keeping Men Down

Drugs and airplanes hanging out together is nothing new, after all we’ve seen a lot of smuggling rings busted over the last year. Just recently officials caught up with a group that thought cocaine should get a first class seat aboard American Airlines. Well US Customs and Border Protection made another discovery, but this time the drug was a little more uplifting than the usual white powder or wacky tobacky.

Last week officials at the Miami International Airport seized over 20,000 counterfeit Viagra pills. That’s like fifty pounds of bootleg medication. It was a shipment from India that looked a little sketchy, and once they cracked it open they knew the pills were not on their way to your local Walgreens.

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Tags: 2009-Halloween-Theme-Park-Map / 2009 Halloween Theme Park Scare Guide / Halloween Travel / Scary Travel / Theme Parks / Disney / Disney World / Family Travel / → All Tags

2009 Halloween Theme Park Scare Guide: Mickey's Not So Scary Party

You know Disney has some deep pockets when it comes to their theme parks, so visitors looking to celebrate Halloween have nothing to worry about if they make Walt Disney World their spooky holiday headquarters. For many years the Magic Kingdom has been shutting things down early and welcoming families to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

It’s a Halloween bash that encourages both parents and their kids to dress up; however, some of the adults get a little carried away and that’s always slightly frightened us. As you take in all the seasonal decorations be sure to stop and fill your bags with candy. There’s plenty of trick or treat spots throughout the park and they are usually pretty generous. The best part of the party is that the crowds are manageable. Disney only sells a certain amount of tickets to the shindig, so it’s a great chance to ride Space Mountain like five times in a row without waiting.

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Tags: 2009-Halloween-Theme-Park-Map / 2009 Halloween Theme Park Scare Guide / Halloween Travel / Scary Travel / Theme Parks / Orlando Travel / Los Angeles Travel / → All Tags

2009 Halloween Theme Park Scare Guide: Halloween Horror Nights

At this year’s event you will be trapped by “SAW’s” maniacal serial killer Jigsaw, come face-to-fangs with “The Wolfman” and be chased by the twisted “Chucky” doll.    

And that’s just the beginning: All eight haunted houses, six scarezones and two live shows are inspired by blockbuster horror films. Until now, you’ve only been able to watch the action in horror films like “SAW,” “The Wolfman,” and “Chucky.” But at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights, these films and more have been transformed into live experiences that put you in the middle of your worst cinematic nightmares.   

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Tags: Volunteer Travel / Disney / Orlando Travel / Travel News / Freebies / → All Tags

Spend One Day Volunteering And Get A Free Pass From Disney

Mickey's giving away free one-day passes to Disney's Theme Parks and all you have to do to get one is spend a day volunteering. Beginning on January 1, 2010, you can sign up to volunteer with any participating organization for just one day, and in return you will receive a one-day pass to any Disney park. Disney is hoping to inspire one million people to volunteer (and spend money at Disney World) next year.

If you're not sure how or where to volunteer, Disney has made it easy by teaming up with HandsOn Network, which links volunteers with more than 70,000 nonprofits across the country. Once you've completed your day of service, it will be verified by HandsOn and you will receive a voucher good for one day at any Disney park.

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Tags: Theme Parks / Amusement Parks / Theme Park Travel / Nostalgia / Cypress Gardens / Weeki Wachee Springs / → All Tags

Cypress Gardens is Closed Once Again

Troubled old Florida theme park Cypress Gardens has been shuttered once again, with the owners declaring that it's no longer financially viable to keep it open. They're seeking a buyer, but it remains to be seen whether and when it might reopen, and what it might look like if it does. As the AP reports, Cypress Gardens has been closed several times over the past decade as it struggled with sagging attendance and a fierce local rival whose name rhymes with Schmisney Schmorld.

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Tags: Strange Scuba Spots / Halloween Travel / Scuba / Florida Travel / Active Travel / → All Tags

Pumpkin Carving Is Even Better Under The Sea

We’ve shed some light on strange Scuba spots across the globe, but we’ve never seen a strange Scuba contest before. However, that’s exactly what you’ll find if you’re headed down to the Florida Keys around Halloween this year. Amy Slate’s Amoray Dive Resort has been running an underwater pumpkin carving contest for a few years now, and this year’s competition is set for October 25.

Divers will do their best to carve out the most creative designs while avoiding reef fish and other critters at the bottom of the sea. Contestants will get pumpkins that have already been hollowed out and are just waiting for some creative carvings. Of course there will be prizes awarded to the top three jack-o'-lanterns, so plan something good. We’re thinking that designs inspired by the ocean probably have a good chance of winning. After all nothing screams Halloween more than a spooky dolphin or ghoulish fish.

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Tags: Orlando Travel / Florida Travel / Walt Disney World / Twitter / → All Tags

Follow the 67-Day Adventures of Orlando's Smile Ambassadors

Donnie and Marie might be known for their wholesome perkiness, but they've got nothing on Orlando "Smile Ambassadors" Kyle and Stacey. The cheery duo—Kyle, a Broadway actor, and Stacey, who works with children—hail from New York and have been BFFs for a dozen years and counting. They applied and won their coveted position by submitting an audition video and essay to the 67 Days of Smiles contest, and their merry attitude was deemed good enough to represent the city of Orlando.

On their 67-day journey (they're currently 26 days in), the gleeful twosome are experiencing all of Orlando's 100 attractions, with blog entries and constant Twitter updates (@67days) documenting their every step.

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Tags: Cycling / Florida Travel / Biking / Bike Tours / Key West / Active Travel / → All Tags

Bike Down US Highway 1 From Key Largo To Key West During BubbaFest

November is a tricky travel month, because the onslaught of cooler weather usually puts quite the damper on any outdoor endeavors. That’s why we say to follow millions of others and head down to Florida. We’re not going to play bridge all afternoon and then head out for the early bird special; we’re going to ride our bicycles. Thanks to retired police sergeant Bubba Barron, we have the BubbaFest Bike Tour. It’s a 200-mile cycling event from Key Largo To Key West, and you don’t have to be Lance Armstrong to do it.

Bikers are encouraged to go at their own pace and make frequent pit stops to swim, snorkel, and snooze away part of the day. The whole course over US Highway 1 is pretty flat, so if you can ride a bike and have some patience, you should have no problem pedaling the approximate 45 miles per day. If you do get a little tired, or just lazy, support vehicles follow the whole time and can give you a free ride. Things kick off on November 7 and wrap up on November 13, with a few layover days to soak in the sun.

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Tags: Rental Cars / Animals / Cars / Enterprise / Scary Travel / → All Tags

Forget Snakes In Planes; They're In Our Rental Cars Now

We’ve all received rental cars that had a less than stellar appearance, especially when it comes to the car’s interior. Besides the many lovely odors, stains are the rule rather than the exception. Above all, our favorite is when former drivers have decided to install some type of foodstuff into the upholstery. Thankfully, despite all our rental car troubles, we’ve never received a car with a living critter inside. However, that’s exactly what a Florida woman found when she rented a car from Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Last week a college student hopped into her rental ride, and immediately hopped right back out. There was a red rat snake just hanging out on the dashboard of the car, and at over a yard in length, it was not a welcome surprise. Luckily, the snake wasn’t poisonous, and the rental car company sent out an animal trapper to capture the stowaway.

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Tags: Harry Potter / Universal Studios / Theme Parks / Wizarding World of Harry Potter / Travel News / → All Tags

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Open at Universal Orlando in Spring 2010

It's hard to believe anything good could come out of Draco Malfoy's mouth but today in a media webcast, Draco (aka actor Tom Felton) let us know that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a 20-acre "fully immersive" theme park attraction would be opening at the Universal Studios Orlando in Spring 2010. Muggles and Wizards rejoice!

Tom Williams, chairman and CEO, Universal Parks and Resorts was joined by Harry Potter films production designer Stuart Craig and show producer Alan Gilmore to give out a special sneak peek of the most anticipated theme park attraction since...hmm...maybe since Disney World opened? You all know how nutty HP fans get over the newest books/films. But imagine what they'll do to experience riding a Hippogriff or sending owl mail or exploring forbidden rooms in Hogwarts Castle?

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Tags: College Football Travel / Sports Travel / Football Travel / Sports / Florida Travel / → All Tags

Football Rivalry Travel: Venturing Into Gator Country

Professional football is right around the corner, but more importantly for some, college football has already arrived. Here’s the scoop on just one of the country’s best rivalries to help your sports travel planning.

· Rivalry Match-Up: Tennessee at Florida on September 19.
The two schools aren’t big fans of each other to say the least, and being paired together in the Southeaster Conference has not improved things. Tennessee’s new coach has been running his mouth a lot, so the Gators are ready to bite back. The series is dead even, but the Gators have been more successful recently.

Stadium Info and tips on where to sleep and party, after the jump.

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