The North Myrtle Beach Sea Turtle Patrol is devoted to ensuring sea turtles on their beach and in its vicinity are protected and preserved. They also put efforts forth to educate the public on their mission and the dangers facing these turtles.

Summer is a busy time of year for these volunteers as this is when the female sea turtles come to lay their eggs. Leaders in the group identify and mark nests, inventory nests after emergence, recover hatchlings, and collect discarded eggs from each nest for genetic research study. Volunteers walk the beach every morning, starting at sunrise, from May 1 to mid August, looking for tracks that would indicate a possible nest. These adult loggerheads are about 3 feet long and clock in at about 300 pounds! These female turtles return to the beach they were born at more than 20 years later to nest.

So how can you help out with these awesome, ancient animals? Some easy things you can do to help the turtles while out on the beach this summer.

• Report any sea turtle activity to the sea turtle patrol, whether they’re nesting, stranded, or just tracks.
• Turn off beachfront lights from May 1-October 31 after 10 pm. The turtles instinctively head towards the light, which can take them too far inland to lay their eggs.
• Make sure anything you brought to the beach is taken with you! Sea turtles will eat plastic if they come across it.
• Fill in any holes created by umbrellas, chairs, coolers etc. These holes can trap females and hatchlings on their way to and from the water.

Sea turtles are an ancient reptile that has been around since the dinosaurs. Help preserve this endangered animal by participating in it’s efforts for survival. Contact The North Myrtle Beach Sea Patrol at their website to be involved.

By Laura Lee Jurgens for PeterGreenberg.com

You might think of Spirit as the airline define by fees–there are fees for checked and carry-on bags, fees for booking on the phone and online, and even a $2 Department of Transportation Unintended Consequences fee. However, Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza is working to retrain the public to think of the airline in terms of efficiency of price. No only are Spirit airfares often the lowest in the industry, but they range between 20 to 25 percent below their closest competitor.

Peter joined Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza at the airport and on the plane to hear from the CEO about how the airline’s low-cost, no-frills business model is taking off.

Then, watch as Peter and Charlie Rose ask Baldanza the tough questions. Is it possible for a low-cost carrier to earn customer satisfaction? And do poor customer satisfaction rankings mean poor customer service?

Read the full transcript of Peter’s conversation with Spirit Airlines CEO Ben Baldanza with An Airline for the 99 Percent: Ben Baldanza Speaks Out.

For more information about Spirit, check out:

• Supreme Court Upholds Passenger Rights, Spirit Sues
• 5 Airline Fees You Can Avoid and 4 You Can’t
• DOT’s New Passenger Rights Rules
• Airline Fee Transparency Debate: CEO Ben Baldanza Responds

By Peter Greenberg for CBS News

Check out the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. This area is known as an artist haven, so it’s no surprise that a hotel would have its own gallery. The Otto Gallery is opening in the hotel this spring and will focus on works from Mexican and international artists.

Maybe you’ve heard of the 21C Museum Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Well, their art hotel concept is so successful they’ve opened two more: in Bentonville, Arkansas, and in Cincinnati.

Meanwhile, art is everywhere in the Conrad Indianapolis: The Long-Sharp Gallery has everything from Dali to Warhol, and contemporary artists are on display in the hotel’s second floor.

The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London has a partnership with Halcyon gallery, with works from the masters inside the Royal Suite that are actually for sale. But if that’s not in your budget, just ask to see the hotel’s meeting space, which has original masters on display from the National Maritime Museum.

For more information, visit the museum archives.

Keep reading for more travel tips.

Peter Greenberg: The most important question of the day, Ben. Give us your full name and your title.

Ben Baldanza: My name’s Ben Baldanza. And I’m the Chief Executive Officer of Spirit Airlines.

PG: For those people who just woke up today and had no idea that you existed, can you describe Spirit Air?

BB: At Spirit Air, we are an airline that is focused first on the lowest-price way to get from A to B. So we’ve built our airline so we can have the lowest possible prices. And with that, we want to have an on-time flight, a really friendly travel experience, but at the lowest price possible, and to that end, we sorta create an option versus what the rest of the industry’s doing.

PG: Let’s talk about what the rest of the industry is doing. If you take a look at all the mergers and acquisitions, some failures out there, we’re getting fewer and fewer airlines out there, aren’t we?

BB: That’s a result of an industry that historically has been financially really unstable. And if you look at the industry really since deregulation in 1978, there have been years of boom and lots of years of bust. And part of that was because there were many different carriers all competing for a lot of the same space.

And what’s happened over the last few years is the consolidations have done two things. They’ve stabilized the industry financially in some ways. But the result of that has been higher fares and some fewer service options. Which is where Spirit comes in. Because we create, again, that alternative low-price option.

PG: Well, there’s that famous Richard Branson quote that if you want to be a millionaire, start with $1 billion and start an airline. So why would anybody want to start an airline, then?

BB: When I came to Spirit in 2005, we said, “Let’s look at the airlines that make money all the time and those that don’t.” And there were two buckets. One was Southwest, Ryanair, Emirates Air, Singapore Airlines– all really were extreme in what they did.

We looked at Southwest and Ryanair and Air Asia’s and we said, “So let’s be an airline that can make money in good times and in bad times, high-fuel prices, low-fuel prices– economic recession or economic boom.” And so we’re going to build our airline to look like Ryan in Europe.

PG: People might say you’re dreaming.

BB: Yes but since 2007, since we’ve turned the airline to that kind of airline, we’ve made money. When oil went to $147 in 2008, we still made money. In 2008, our CFO at the time used to joke that we outperformed the industry by $10.1 billion. Because the industry lost $10 billion and we made 1 cent.

The reality is through high fuel prices, through economic recession, through even some internal issues (the pilot strike in 2010 when didn’t run the airline for five days) we’ve made money in every year since then because we built a sustainable– resilient business model that a big chunk of customers really like.

Not every customer. We don’t cater to corporate business travelers. If somebody else is buying your ticket, you’re probably not going to buy a ticket on Spirit Airlines. But if you’re paying for the ticket, you have a good chance of seeing our value as what you’re looking for.

PG: Because you’re driven by price?

BB: That’s exactly right. Everything we do at the airline is to create a low entry price point or a low ticket price point. Sometimes we get called a no-frills airline. That’s wrong. We’re a very high-frills airline. We just charge incrementally for each of the frills. And the advantage of that to the consumer is they pay for what they care about and they save on what they don’t use. So they only pay for what they want.

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First responders are in a race against time searching for survivors in Moore, Oklahoma, the hardest-hit area, where two elementary schools were in the path of this terror storm.  Aside from the tragic loss of life felt there and across southern Oklahoma City, thousands of families have lost their homes and everything they owned.

Many of us want to help and there are different ways in which we can. Below is a list (still growing) of organizations assisting in the relief efforts in Oklahoma as well as tools for more information.

Gov. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma is posting real-time updates on her Twitter page.  You can follow her @GovMaryFallin

Your Complete A-Z Guide of How to Help

AMERICARES

AmeriCares is a non-profit emergency response and global health organization. It is asking for monetary donations to aid in the delivery of medical and humanitarian aid as well as to help purchase supplies needed for relief efforts.

DONORSCHOOSE.ORG

Donors Choose is an online charity that sends supplies to teachers who’ve requested need for specific projects within their classrooms. Donors can contribute financial donations to specific projects and help supply a classroom with fundamental learning equipment.

From their website:

“When teachers in Moore are ready, we will help them create classroom recovery projects for everything from furniture to food to therapy resources. These teachers know best what their students need, and we can empower them to rebuild their classrooms.”

All donations will be sent to the teachers in Moore, Oklahoma.

FEED THE CHILDREN

Feed The Children, a Christian organization headquarted in Oklahoma City, is preparing emergency disaster relief supplies to aid victims of the Moore tornadoes and is accepting donations at a number of locations. Items that will be accepted are diapers, canned goods, non-perishable food and snack items, water and sports drinks.

Outside the state, you can also donate money by calling 800-627-4556, visiting the website, or by texting “DISASTER” to 80888.

RED CROSS

The Oklahoma Red Cross is asking people to make a $10 donation by texting Red Cross to 90999. The donations allow the Red Cross to purchase needed supplies.

If you are looking for a family member, you can visit www.safeandwell.org. Local Red Cross units will be dispatched throughout the damaged area.

REGIONAL FOOD BANK OF OKLAHOMA

The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, in partnership with Oklahoma Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, is asking that the public support all rescue, recovery and disaster relief efforts with donations of cash to your favorite responding charity.

To make a tax deductible donation to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, go to their website or call 604-7111 or text FOOD to 32333 to give $10 to relief efforts.

OKLAHOMA BAPTIST RELIEF CENTER

The Oklahoma Bapist Relief Center is on the ground help. Those interested can make a tax-deductible donation to the BGCO’s Disaster Relief ministry, by visiting its website or BY calling 942-3800. All money goes toward disaster relief and helping victims.

For photos, information and updates, visit the Oklahoma Baptists’ blog.

OKLAHOMA BLOOD INSTITUTE

Donors to the Oklahoma Blood Institute provide every drop of blood needed by patients in all metro-Oklahoma City hospitals and 140 others across the state. Locations of donor centers and mobile blood drives can be found on its website.

OPERATION USA

Headquartered in Los Angeles, the relief agency Operation USA is dedicated to providing emergency aid where needed to community-based health organizations across Oklahoma. Donate online at www.opusa.org, or by phone at 1.800.678.7255

OU SOONERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

The University of Oklahoma is opening up spaces in housing for the displaced families. Call 405-325-2511

SALVATION ARMY

The Salvation Army Arkansas-Oklahoma Division has dispatched disaster response teams.

Donations can be made in the following ways:

• The Salvation Army Disaster Relief, P.O. Box 12600, Oklahoma City, OK 73157. Designate Oklahoma Tornado Relief on all checks.
• Donate by phone: (800) 725-2769
• Donate online: donate.salvationarmyusa.org/uss/eds

UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

United Way of Central Oklahoma has activated its disaster relief fund, so individuals may give specifically to the May tornadoes relief and recovery efforts. Fund dollars will be distributed without administrative fees to United Way Partner Agencies working on the tornado relief efforts.

To donate, go to www.unitedwayokc.org or by mail to United Way of Central Oklahoma, P.O. Box 837, Oklahoma City, OK 73101 with notation for May Tornado Relief.

For more information, please contact Karla Bradshaw at (405) 235-3534.

Irene Moore for PeterGreenberg.com

The incident occurred on August 5, 2012, when surveillance video captured an 11-year-old girl from Brazil being molested by a Disney employee in an elevator. The footage recorded the employee groping the child’s chest and forcibly kissing her.

The incident is not in dispute, but the now WKMG has been investigating the cruise line’s handling of the incident and the timing in question. At issue is a question of the country of jurisdiction and if Disney’s actions allowed one of its employees to escape U.S. prosecution.

Image Credit: WKMG

The incident occurred just before 3 pm while the ship was docked in Port Canaveral, Florida. The victim promptly reported it to ship authorities, but the ship pulled out of port at 5:02 pm if nothing criminal had occurred.

The incident was not officially handled by law enforcement until August 7, when the former Disney employees confessed to the crime to the police in Nassau, Bahamas. At this point in the timeline, the victim’s grandmother had decided that she did not want the crime investigated.

WKMG alleges that if the incident had been reported in Florida, the employee would have been arrested for felony regardless of the victim’s family’s wishes. Felony charges for molestation are punishable by 25 years to life in prison.

Instead, Disney removed the subject from the ship and in the hands of Bahamas law enforcement, Disney arranged for the employee in question to return to India, as per standard employee contract provisions.

Following the WKMG report, we reached out to Rebecca Peddie, manager, public affairs of Disney Cruise Line which who offered the following statement:

“We take matters of this nature very seriously as the safety and security of our guests is our top priority. We notified all of the authorities, including the Port Canaveral Police Department, the Royal Bahamian Police Force, the Coast Guard and the FBI and took proper action. When we arrived in Nassau, the Royal Bahamian Police Force came aboard the ship for an investigation. Ultimately, the family chose not to take further action.”

While it’s not clear why WKMG chose to pursue this story nearly a year after the incident took place, it does open the conversation about cruise safety and crime reporting at sea. Should you be concerned about personal safety while you’re on a ship?

The International Council of Cruise Lines (now part of CLIA) once noted that the rate of sexual assault on cruise ships is said to be 17.6 per 100,000 as compared to a U.S. rate of 32.2 per 100,000. According to Ross Klein, founder of CruiseJunkie.com, sexual assault on cruises is approx 50 percent higher than on land.

credit: Matt Stroshane

Accurate reporting is a key issue. In 2010, Congress passed a law that was originally designed to create a national database of crimes that occur on cruise ships. However, the bill was watered down upon signing and the new act requires cruise lines to report all serious crimes aboard ships to the FBI, and not to a public database.  The public database now only has records of crimes that are no longer under investigation. As an offshoot it appears that crime has been reduced more than it actually has been. The FBI had once had public record of more than 400 crimes, though now there are under a dozen in the public database.

In issues of jurisdiction as occurred with the Disney Dream, cruisers should be aware that of the law at sea is not necessarily U.S. law. Maritime law is complex but can best be understood by the 24-mile-rule. Within 24 miles of a port, a cruise ship is subject to the law of that land (i.e. U.S. or Bahamian law). On the open seas (aka high seas or international waters), the law of that ship is the law of the country whose flag the ship is flying. And the flag or nation of some popular cruise ships may surprise you.

Watch the full WKMG to see how the laws of jurisdiction impacted the incident onboard the Disney Dream.

Was this handled correctly by the law and by Disney? Sound off below!

For recent issues of cruise safety, check out:

• What Happens When a Cruise Passenger Goes Overboard?
• Is Carnival Cruise Cutting Corners: The Experts Weigh In
• Two Reasons to Buy Travel Insurance for Your Next Cruise
• Post Carnival Triumph: How Safe Is Your Cruise?

By Lily J. Kosner for PeterGreenberg.com

Congratulations! You’re lucky enough to visit Paris, one of the greatest cities in the world, not once but twice. Odds are pretty good that you already went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, gaped in awe at Notre Dame, and got a photo of yourself smiling next to the Mona Lisa. Good news, though – there’s still plenty more to see and do in the City of Light, and you certainly won’t have as many other tourists waiting in line in front of you.

Pick a different neighborhood to stay in so that you can experience a new angle of French local cool, then prepare to see a whole new part of this incredible city.

Now that you’ve hit all the highlights, spend a little time focusing in on just what makes Paris so great. Already been to the Pantheon? If you haven’t, it’s definitely worth the visit, but make sure you stop at the nearby Eglise de St.Etienne, which is beautiful, almost always empty, and just around the corner. From there, you can partake in a particularly Parisian pastime – the flaner, or nice long walk with no specific destination, by strolling through the Latin Quarter. If you’ve already been to the Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay, invest in a smaller but just as beloved museum.

Focus on the work of one artist at the Rodin Museum (which has a gorgeous sculpture garden worth spending time in on a sunny afternoon) or the Picasso Museum in the super-bobo 3rd arrondissement.  Prefer a variety of styles and subjects? Check out the Museum of the Orangerie or the Luxembourg Museum, both of which are just next to the Jardins de Luxembourg in the 6^th arrondissement. The totally-free Museum of the Romantic Life (which is more about the literary style than the daily practice of love, btw) in the 9^th arrondissement is gorgeous and has a tea room that’s divine during the afternoon. Though most people associate Paris with classical or romantic art, there is a very good Modern Art Museum not far from the Champs-Elysees.

If you didn’t make it on your first trip, check out the Pere Lachaise cemetery, which is considered the most famous cemetery in the world. Among the people buried there are Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Maria Callas, Sarah Bernhardt, Marcel Marceau, and (probably the most famous with tourists) Jim Morrison. To make the best of your visit, do some research ahead of time. The cemetery is huge and the provided (posted, not printed out) maps are not terribly helpful. If there are a few specific graves you’d like to see, download maps on your phone ahead of time or use an app to help you find them.

There’s one more important thing to do on your second visit to Paris: get out of town. Even lifelong lovers of Paris need to see the country sometimes. There are great and relatively easy day trips from Paris, including Versailles, Disneyland Paris (What? Kids really like it), and Monet’s house at Giverny. If you want to take a pre-arranged guided tour (and not have to deal with navigating mass transit), the Paris City Vision company comes highly recommended. If you’re slightly more ambitious and want to do a whole weekend outside of Paris, the city of Reims (in the Champagne region), the beaches of Normandy (hugely popular with World War II buffs), and the wine country of Burgundy are also excellent places to see more of the country.

Before heading home, there’s one final thing to work on – your French, of course. Give yourself one afternoon to relax in a café or coffee shop – Telescope, near the Louvre, and Merci, not far from Place de la Republique, are both too cool to be believed – and while the afternoon away reading a French newspaper and enjoying some of the best coffee in the city. Merci is also a used bookstore, so if you’re feeling ambitious, pick up quelque chose a lire on the flight home.

Next thing you know, it’ll be time for a third visit.

For more adventures in Paris, check out:

• Foodie Round-Up: The Complete Guide to Macarons in Paris
• Ask the Locals: City Guide to Paris France
• A Single Woman Finds Love in Paris Cooking School
• Suzy Gershman’s Postcard from Paris

By Lilit Marcus for PeterGreenberg.com. Lilit is a freelance writer who lives on the Lower East Side and tries to get out of Manhattan as much as possible. Her work has also appeared in Glamour, The Daily, and Jaunted.com. Follow her on twitter at @LilitMarcus.

United Airlines started the latest trend by raising the change fee for nonrefundable domestic tickets. It used to be $150, and now it’s $200. Planning to fly to South America? Better be sure because changing it will cost you $300. US Airways followed suit by upping its change fee on domestic flights by $50. The good news is the cost to change international flights is still the same.

Other airlines are raising checked-bag fees, and Frontier Airlines will now charge $25 to $100 for the overhead bin if you book a ticket anywhere other than their website.

A study from TravelNerd found that U.S. airlines have changed 52 different fees since the beginning of 2012. The only good news…most of those increases are nominal, about $5 to $10.

But it’s a profit center for the airlines: while they have to pay state and federal taxes on airfare, those ancillary fees only get hit by a much more moderate sales tax. And so the airlines win and you…lose.

For more information, visit the Airport & Airline archives.

Keep reading for more travel tips.

Listen to Peter’s most recent show to hear from all the people who make Bluefields and Jamaica so special.  Check out the complete guest list, listen to the latest all-local podcast and stream the complete show below.

Sound familiar?

Meeting with someone, like a local tour guide, who has extensive knowledge of the area, the people and the history can be a great advantage to learning about a foreign land when traveling. They can offer you an insider’s perspective on the local culture.

How you go about hiring a guide will be based on a few factors: what you hope to gain out of your trip, your budget and how much time you’ll have while traveling.

When is it Right For You to Hire a Tour Guide?

When you have very little time and still want a meaningful experience

Sometimes we get overambitious and try to pack in too many stops in one small trip. Cities on a little map can look so close together when in fact it will often take a lot of moving, carrying bags, and waiting around to get from point  A to B. When you arrive in one city and realize you’re leaving in mere hours with so much to see, a tour guide comes in handy.  He or she can show you exactly what you wanted without the fuss of getting lost and confusing destinations (although these are sometimes the joy of traveling for some of us).

When the language barrier is, simply put, a barrier

A guide can be the liaison between you and local market places, street vendors, people and everything else wonderful you’ll want to experience during your trip.  Knowing the language can help move you along in so many places and help rid the frustration of confusion that often comes when traveling overseas.

When you are visiting a dangerous and chaotic place

Knowing the local language, roads, transportation, customs and cultures in some places can mean the difference between life or death.  A local tour guide can help guide you through places that otherwise would be a trap for a naive tourist.

When you are on a long stay somewhere 

Often times to get the lay of the land early on in your trip, a travel guide is a helpful accessory to show you around so you can make notes of the places you want to visit, or not for that matter, at a later time on your own.

When you are on an adventure trip

Tour guides can often offer life-saving advice on adventure trips, especially if they are indigenous to the area. Although there has been recent controversy lately over the Sherpas around Mt. Everest, these expert travel guides are required by the Nepalese government and ensure safety for climbers during their trek up the mountain.

When visiting a popular destination 

When visiting Athens, you may have the same idea as the millions of other travelers and want to step foot on the Acropolis or the Temple of Zeus.  A travel guide will know how to get around the crowds in these areas and the rights times of day to visit certain attractions.

When you’re on vacation and want to relax the entire time

 If you don’t feel like putting in the effort and time it takes to plan all the places you’ll want to see, hiring a local guide can alleviate the time and stress it would take to otherwise do so.

When Does a Tour Guide Become a Liability?

A good guide is an irreplaceable travel asset, a bad guide is a preventable liability. When you give over your trip to a tour guide, you have to trust that you’re in the right hands. However, there are plenty of cases of guides who are taking in kickbacks from the places they steer you. In some cases, a dishonest guide can steer you to overpriced restaurants, shops and vendors than can double or even triple the cost of your trip. Don’t second guess every selection, but know that you have every right to decide that you don’t want to go somewhere, or ask for an alternative. If a guide is overly insistent that you go to a particular place, consider that a red flag.

How to Hire A Guide

There are many things to consider before you hire a professional guide. For one, your tour guide should be someone who is local to the area, who truly enjoys living there. So how do you find such a person?

Hotels often have a working selection of guides that they recommend. Hotels also often plan guided group tours for travelers and arrange for safe travels. If you’re looking for a guide with specific skills–trekking, art history, scuba diving–a specialized travel agent usually has a complete resource of guides.

But don’t rush to sign on the dotted line. Staffer and globetrotter, Courtney Crockett suggests if the opportunity is available to meet with your tour guide ahead of time. Once you’ve arrived at your destination offer to meet with the guide for coffee and conduct a brief interview.

Here are her tips about topics to ask about:

• Know the rate of the tour before going, make sure it includes mileage and gas
• Set the schedule with the guide and let them know ahead of time you are not interested in visiting places outside of the agreed upon areas
• Ask them if they will be alone or if anyone else will be joining them for the tour (this is especially important for solo travelers)
• If you don’t have the time to meet up with the person beforehand, do as much research as possible online and asking around.  As an added precaution, pair up with someone else you trust on the guided tour.

Last, but not least, check around with friends and family, social media and other online resources for recommendations. Word-of-mouth and great experiences are things you will want to look for ahead of time.

By Irene Moore for PeterGreenberg.com

Colonial Williamsburg isn’t just about reenacting the old days. They’ve actually created an experience that requires a cell phone. You’ll explore Revolutionary City as an undercover agent, solving clues and cracking codes sent through text messages.

SeaWorld in Orlando has a new penguin exhibit opening this spring—and we’re not just talking about a few penguins walking around. This is a huge undertaking and it’s a totally immersive experience—getting you deep into the Antarctic habitat and up close and personal with a penguin colony

Now talk about crazy…and inventive: Luna Park on Coney Island was bought out by an Italian company a couple of years ago, and now they’re installing a ride based on Leonardo Da Vinci’s flying bikes.

And if you’re one of those people who only care about the high-octane thrill rides, then head to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. The new GateKeeper coaster is breaking records all over the place—including the longest track and the longest drop.

For more information, visit the Theme Park archives.

Keep reading for more travel tips.

Champagne wishes and caviar dreams right? Well for the one percent of the population that can travel like the rich and famous, boy do they. Instead of going to a local travel agent these folks enjoy using elite concierge services. Basically a fancy way of saying what you want whenever and wherever you want it. Memberships at these elite groups such as Quintessentially, Pure Entertainment Group, and Luxury Concierge Group China start at $2,000 for a day with the China Group and go up to $300,000 for Quintessentially Elite membership. Once you’re a member these companies will do everything from sending midgets to perform on your yacht in Dubai to closing down the Sydney Harbor Bridge for a walk and proposal.

So what do they have planned for this summer? Keep reading for some of the most outrageous trips of the summer rich (unfortunately we’re not naming names here…even the rich even have the luxury of vacation anonymity.

A Birthday to Remember

Who doesn’t love a good birthday party? Maybe a fancy dinner, splurge on a rented limo so you can all get a little crazy. Or you could follow in the footsteps of a wealthy California man who took his wife and 30 of her closest friends on a two-week birthday celebration to the south of France. He imported 20 vintage cars from throughout Europe for a road rally through the Provence region, as well as took them on a six-night luxury cruise, and had food prepared from some of the best chefs in the world. All of a sudden splurging for the convertible from the rent-a-car place doesn’t seem too extravagant, does it?

Create Your Own Medieval Times

Family trips are a great way to teach your kids about culture, bond, and experience new things together. Your local Renaissance fair is a great way to explore the days of yester year with the family and eat some turkey legs. Or one family during a $500,000 three day trip to Ireland had a Celtic village constructed with roundhouses, silversmiths, jugglers, fiddle players, and private fireworks at Lismore Castle. Create your own medieval experience for a mere million dollars.

Not Your Average Road-Trip

An extremely wealthy Russian man took a group of his employees and their sons on a 10-day, off-road trip through Mexico. They boarded a private plane for Mexico, took advantage of 15 rented 4×4’s (for $10,000 a piece), were escorted by police and security throughout the trip, and decided to import groceries from all over the world to satisfy any culinary urges. I guess they’re not to into chips and salsa. This adventure could be yours for a mere $800,000.

Man Your Own Submarine

Cruises are a fan favorite of travelers. It’s a great way to be out on the water and in the sun without completely breaking the bank. Or you could go big time and have a 557 ft. yacht built. One Russian billionaire’s super yacht is a $1.2 billion powerhouse with up to 24 guest cabins, two swimming pools, hot tubs, disco hall, and a medical clinic. With all that precious cargo it’s no wonder he went for a German missile defense system and a 12 seat anti piracy submarine that is launched through a hatch in the ship’s hull.

By Laura Lee Jergens for PeterGreenberg.com

Listen to the Bluefields show streaming live from 10 am until 1 pm ET on Saturday, May 18, 2013.

Have a travel question? Then ask Peter. Call 888-88-PETER (888-887-3837), email him at peter@petergreenberg.com, or tweet your questions to@petersgreenberg (include #askPeter)

Featured guests include:

Margaret Bernal, board member of the Bluefields Environmental Protection Association, describes the indigenous wildlife in the region and the association and the villas work to keep it protected.

Terry Williams, creator of the Bluefields People’s Community Association, looks at how tourism has impacted the country and the community.

John Racanelli, CEO National Aquarium in Baltimore, talks about what sets the local marine life apart from the rest of the island.

Houston Moncure, local resident who is part of the family business of Bluefields Bay Villas, examines growing up on the island and how the property has continues to evolve.

Carmen Hibbert, executive chef of Bluefields Villas, shares her favorite local ingredients and tricks to preparing the freshest fish.

Susan Racanelli, National Development Director for Seacology, looks at the work of the non-profit that focuses on saving endangered species, habitats and cultures of islands throughout the world.

Valdence Gifford, founder of the Jamaica Pig Farmers Association, breaks down the rewards as well as the challenges of farming in Jamaica.

C. Braxton Moncure, founder of Bluefields Bay Villas, looks at how the property has attempted to modernize and grow while still maintaining its personal touch.

By Lily J. Kosner for PeterGreenberg.com

Viking Set its Sights on the Ocean

Last night, Viking announced that it will straddle both the ocean and river cruise markets. Starting in 2015, the Viking Star will cruise the ocean in Scandinavia, the Baltic and the Mediterranean. A second ship is scheduled for delivery in 2016, with the potential of four more ships built by Italian company Fincantieri. Viking aims to recreate the river cruising experience on the ocean: small ships of under 1,000 passengers; longer periods at shore with included shore excursions; beer and wine included with meals; and even free Wi-Fi. And don’t overlook the stylish elements on the ship. One of the pools will be surrounded by a retractable dome; another infinity pool will be on the glass-backed on the stern of the ship. Even cooler, there is a fire and ice technology with outdoor fire pits and a spa with a “snow grotto” with snowflakes falling from the sky.

Royal Caribbean Engineering Better Views with Quantum of the Seas

There are many firsts that Royal Caribbean is building into its line of Quantum-class ships, but most exciting are the new views. The North Star is a glass capsule that takes guests 300 feet over the ocean to capture 360-views. Views are also at the forefront of Two70°, the ship’s multi-level great room that has floor-to-ceiling glass walls. At night, the room morphs from a living-room-style lounge with entertainment and live  aerialists, video and digital scenery. You’ll even get a great view from interior cabins which now have a “virtual balcony,” a digital program that streams real-time views of the ocean and exciting destinations to interior cabins. Know for adventure activities, the RipCord by iFly is the first skydiving experience. It’s a safe, controlled environment that gives you access to outside ocean views.

Outdoor Cruise Technology with the Royal Princess

It’s no surprise that Princess Cruises’ new Royal Princess is getting regal treatment; the ship will be christened by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge (aka Kate Middleton) on June 13 in Southampton, England. The royal legacy of the ship is in no way the coolest feature. Most interesting is the Sea Walk, a new engineering feature that’s a glass-enclosed walkway cantilevered 128 feet above the ocean offering unobstructed views. On most cruise ships the top deck goes dead when the sun sets.  Nighttime experiences include a water and light show and cruise line’s largest  version of Movies Under the Stars–a poolside big screen, outdoor theater with blankets, popcorn, cookies and milk. Another first onboard is Princess Live TV Studio, which is the ships own TV network with culinary shows, live concerts, late night comedy, and game shows.

Enhanced Entertainment with Norwegian Breakaway

The Breakaway sails out of New York, but manages to bring the city attractions along with it. The Rockettes are the godmothers of the ship and the dancers have their own fitness class for cruisers. Entertainment is a big part of the mega-ship, including Broadway shows like Rock of Ages, as well as comedy shows, a jazz club, a nightclub, and a dueling piano bar. Entertainment is also a big part of the food offerings with restaurants  from Food Network celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian, and baked goods from “Cake Boss” Buddy Vlasto. Focusing on outdoor dining, the ship has a multi-restaurant outdoor area called the Waterfront.

Perks for Kids and Adults MSC Preziosa

This Italian cruise line’s flagship entered service in March, but is ready for summer travelers from across the globe. MSC Preziosa is catering to the kids with the longest waterslide at sea, a 4D cinema ride and Doremi Castle, an aquatic adventure park. For adults, there is a good way to escape: The solarium is an adult only-spa sun deck with spa services and a bar menu (access to the solarium comes with a fee). Grownups will also appreciate MSC’s agreement with Mario Batali’s Eataly, who created 18 dishes for the ship.

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By Lily J. Kosner with Alex Thurnher for PeterGreenberg.com

It’s not just the airline you fly, but what time of day you depart. Flights are more likely to depart on time early the morning, say between 6 am and 9 am. By mid-day, those on-time rates drop dramatically.

It also depends on what time of day your flight arrives. Again, morning is your best bet.

The Department of Transportation also reports the worst flights by route. Between July and September of this year, chronically delayed flights included Alaska Airlines between Portland and San Francisco, which was late more than 67 percent the time; and Southwest between Denver and San Francisco,

That’s when you want think creatively about alternate airports—SFO has all those delays because of the fog…but nearby Oakland and San Jose don’t have the same problems.

For more information, visit the Airport & Airline archives.

Keep reading for more travel tips.