Disney’s reign as the king of family cruises may be over.  The children’s network Nickelodeon has teamed with Royal Caribbean  for their very first cruise scheduled later this summer:

The Nickelodeon Family Cruise with Royal Caribbean will depart from Los Angeles, Calif. on July 26 on Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas, the largest ship to be home ported on the West Coast. It will sail to the exotic Mexican Riviera stopping in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Mazatlan, Mexico; and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Eastern Caribbean cruise will leave on Aug. 9 from Port Canaveral, Fla., on the largest cruise ship in the world–the Freedom of the Seas–and will sail to Nassau, Bahamas; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Royal Caribbean’s private island destination, CocoCay in the Bahamas. – About.com

The cruise will feature several of the Nickelodeon signature characters including the wildly popular Sponge Bob Squarepants, interactive game shows, and never before seen episodes of some of Nick’s best loved series.

With plenty of on-board activities for both kids and parents, and the  it’s little wonder that family-style cruises are so popular.

Are you planning a trip outside the U.S. this year with your family?  Let Swift Passport Services assist you in getting your travel documents prepared.

The latest news from the travel sector is that business travel is expected to be up in 2010:

More than a quarter of business travel budgets will be increased this year according to a new survey ahead of this year’s Business Travel & Meetings Show. – Breaking Travel News

It seems that even with all the great new technology like video conferencing and high speed internet, there is simply no substitute for face-to-face contact when you’re in the thick of business negotiations. Since globalization and the emerging markets overseas are such strong factors in the global marketplace, international travel is one of the biggest areas of business travel.

When traveling internationally, you may need the assistance of a passport expediting service to help you get your official documents in order before an urgent trip.  Remember Swift Passport Services, an independently owned company that helps thousands of satisfied clients each year get to their international destinations smoothly and without standing in long lines.

Call us today to find out what we can do for you: 1-877-917-9438.   Or visit our website:  www.SwiftPassport.com.

This week, President Obama removed a ban on HIV-positive travelers entering the U.S.  The ban had been in place since 1987 and was under sharp criticism from many activist groups.  The UN chief Ban Ki Moon praised the President for removing such a discriminatory and unnecessary restriction:

‘I congratulate President Obama on announcing the removal of the travel restrictions for people living with HIV from entering the United States,’ Mr Ban said in a statement released by UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids. ‘I urge all other countries with such restrictions to take steps to remove them at the earliest.’

What do you think?  Are you happy to hear about the ban on HIV positive travelers to the U.S. being lifted?

Photo Credit:  Mike Baird

You’ve done this before, traveled abroad, maybe even many times. Your passport and visas are in order; you’ve packed plenty of snacks, reading material, and that trusty extended flight headrest from Sky Mall. Only this time is different. This time you have kids in tow. So what can you expect of your children on a long international flight?

First, there are a few things you have to expect when traveling with children especially children under the age of 12 that you must plan ahead for. The first of these things are if you plan to travel with an infant, particularly if this is your first child, you must know that you WILL be late. No doubt about it, ask any experienced mom or dad. You have to pack your things, and baby’s things, and travel tools like a stroller, car seat, and diaper bag necessities. With kids, always leave early. If your airline suggests that you get to the airport two hours before your flight, get there three hours early. After all the loading and unloading you are sure to do, you will still barely make the boarding time. Give yourself extra time for bathroom breaks and snack times because these things require much more time.

Second to note, pack snacks, snacks, and more snacks. Depending on how long your flight is, you can usually never have enough snacks. This rule applies to children of all ages. Whether it’s extra formula or pre expressed milk, toddler approved dry cereals, or pre prepared sandwiches for the always starving teenager, you most likely will need lots more than you think you will. A large number of children will “Ewe Groce!” the airline food and it’s usually not the healthiest of snack anyway unless you’re rolling first class. You know your child and what they will eat, and you also are the only one aware of any allergies they may have. Some healthy travel friendly suggestions are dried fruit, nuts or seeds without shells, granola bars, and healthy individually wrapped snack packages such as whole wheat crackers. Packing snacks from home not only saves time and keeps the masses satisfied, but it’s also significantly less expensive than buying food on the go. Airport food can be particularly pricey.

Finally, you thought you got bored on an 18 hour flight? This one will also apply to children from infants to 17 year olds. You must bring plenty of things to do and a wide variety of such to end the constant barrage of “I’m Bored!” Age appropriate of course, and keep in mind you each usually only get one carry on a piece, but books, puzzles, games, and the ever popular digital ANYTHING is great for modern day children. Ideally for smaller kids a giant game/ puzzle/ color book will save space and keep the weight of the carry on to a minimum. For older kids, the in flight movie may be appropriate so plan to bring ear buds or for some airlines, you can purchase ear buds for $5. Also checkout Travel Kiddy. This website has travel friendly kits and suggestions for activities for the little ones.

Of course, never forget plenty of medication if your kids require them and have it available during the flight if necessary. Bring lollipops for older children to minimize ear popping. For infants, if ear popping is a problem and makes them cry; try having a flight attendant poor hot water from a coffee pot into a paper or Styrofoam cup, allowing the cup to heat. Then poor the water out and place the cup over an ear of the infant for a moment. This seams to ease out the pressure and will sooth the child. Don’t forget to contact Swift Passport Services in advance to gather all your passports and visa for the whole family and give yourself plenty of time to collect these things. Allowing older children to present their own passports at check in will make them feel super important and can change the foul mood of most! Don’t ever be afraid to ask for help of the airline staff or other passengers. Traveling with children internationally can be extremely stressful, but if you plan well in advance, it can be one of the most memorable trips your family will take together.

-Amber Colbert, Swift Passport Services

The travel industry is about to undergo some major changes to the regulations for international travel, beginning in 2009. In fact, it is a good time to start thinking about it now.

1.  Passports will be required for all border crossings.  Yep, that means Canada and Mexico.  Gone are the days of spur-of-the-moment getaways across the border.  If you (and everyone with you) doesn’t have a current, valid passport, it is no going to happen.

2. Tickets to Europe must convey all fees, taxes and additional costs in their initial price quote.  This is partially to serve for consumer protection and to avoid the nasty surprises that many travelers to Europe have reported lately.  Additionally, any options that will incur additional cost to the traveler must be offered up front during the booking, in a clear and unambiguous manner, which will allow the traveler to decide for themselves if they want to opt in.

3. The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is about to become implemented on January 12, 2009.  It is a fully automated system put in place by the Department of Homeland Security and it will pre-screen travelers who wish to visit he US under the Visa Waiver Program.  (The Visa Waiver program allows for citizens of 27 countries to visit the US for up to 90 days without a visa.)

Unfortunately, many of us do not travel internationally frequently enough to pay attention to major changes in regulations and policies.  That’s why it is important to think ahead.  If there is any chance that you might be going over the border, traveling to Europe, or entertaining visitors under the Visa Waiver Program, keep these changes in mind.