In which we present a regular round-up of news from the world of Grown-up Travel
Legoland Hotel to recruit kid concierges to help younger guests plan their stay at London park
NY Daily News
In a unique bid to appeal to youngsters, the new hotel at Legoland Windsor is to offer junior concierges when it opens later this year.
The hotel, which is set to open in March, will offer a team of eight-to-12-year-old concierges to help younger guests decide what to do during their stay at the park, which is situated just outside London in Windsor.
A team of six boys and girls will take up the post on a rota basis, Legoland says, available at peak times to advise visitors from a “kids-eye” perspective.
With children behind a desk dressed in a bespoke concierge’s uniform, it’d be easy to think that Legoland was flouting child labor laws — but it’s keen to stress that it’s offering a lot in return.
Each concierge will receive a free weekend with their family over their tenure, the park says, which includes a stay in a Lego-themed room, two days in the park and plenty of Lego to play with.
‘Get back on board, d***!’ Costa Concordia T-shirts for sale in Australia
News.com.au
An Australian company is selling T-shirts quoting the now famous tirade against the “coward captain” of the Costa Concordia.
The shirts carry the phrase “Vada a bordo, cazzo!” – which translates to “Get back on board, d..k!” – from the audio recording of a heated exchange between harbour master Gregorio de Falco and captain Francesco Schettino.
De Falco was ordering the captain to return to his ship – and has now gained hero status for his tirade.
All the rage in Italy, the T-shirts have made their way Down Under and are up for sale on website Zazzle.com.au.
The company, which sells the products of 700,000 designers around the world, has 49 products available on the cruise disaster including shirts, cups, hats and stickers and children’s clothing.
A Zazzle spokesman said that while he could not disclose how many T-shirts had been sold, they had been a hit.
Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson is criticised for charging musicians to carry instruments
The Telegraph
Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Group magnate, has been accused of turning his back on musicians by charging them to bring their instruments on his airlines.
Sir Richard Branson made his fortune from selling the music of such rebelllious rock bands as the Sex Pistols.
Now, a fully paid-up member of the Establishment, the tycoon has been accused of turning his back on musicians by charging them to carry their instruments on his airlines.
“Don’t you think it is unbelievable?” says Hugh Cornwell, the lead singer of The Stranglers, the punk rock group best known for such hits asGolden Brown and No More Heroes.
“Branson, who made his fortune out of Virgin Records, has now, essentially, declared war on musicians by charging them to take their guitars away. Musicians don’t fly everywhere first class. When they are starting out, they travel the world with their guitars and very little else. Now, Branson is turning his back on the people that made him rich in the first place. A lot of musicians might stop using them out of principle.”
Virgin Atlantic insists that it has the same rules on musical instruments as other airlines. “Virgin Atlantic, along with other scheduled carriers, charges for additional baggage above the passenger allowance,” says a spokesman. “The allowance varies depending on what class the passenger is travelling in. Passengers carrying musical instruments on board can choose to check them in, paying excess baggage where applicable, or take them on board as carry-on hand luggage.
The 10 coolest airport public transportation routes
USA Today
Got a lengthy layover? There’s no reason to be stuck at the airport – at least if you happen to be in one of these terminals that offer seamless, speedy and inexpensive public transportation to spots of local interest.
AirportGroundDirectory.com has compiled its 2012 list of the best public transportation options from U.S. airports. Some suggestions are more practical than others, but it’s a list worth noting.
Best route to a shopping spree: A mere 11 minutes and four train stops separate Minneapolis/St. Paul’s Terminal 2 and the colossal monument to commerce: the Mall of America. For the shopping-averse, it also harbors Nickelodeon Universe, a seven-acre indoor amusement park and the Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium. Round-trip fare: $4.50 during rush hour and $3.50 during off-peak hours.
Best ride to the beach: It’s about four minutes to Smathers Beach on Key West’s south side via Key West Transit’s Blue Line. The island’s commercial hub, Duval Street, is just a few minutes beyond. Cost: $2.
Best way to a wine tasting: Take Sonoma County Transit bus 62 from the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport south to Old World Winery in Fulton. The winery is a five or 10 minute walk from the bus stop, but the return bus picks up from the landscape center next door. Cost: $2.50 round trip.
Best route for celebrity sighting: It’s just 20 minutes from the Nashville airport to the hub of the country music scene near the Ryman Auditorium. Drop into one of the nearby clubs to see who’s performing. Fare: $2.10.
Best ride to the ballpark: Baltimore’s acclaimed Camden Yards baseball stadium is a 25-minute ride from the airport. Fare: $1.60.
Best way to hit the casinos: The Las Vegas Strip lies minutes from the airport via the Westcliff Airport Express to the corner of Tropicana and Las Vegas boulevards and the MGM Grand Hotel. Save $2 for the return trip to the airport.