(Photo: Star of Honolulu Cruises and Events) By Lena Katz Hawaii’s marine scene gets a little more crowded each winter, as thousands of North Pacific humpback whales migrate 3,500 miles from Alaska to the warm South Pacific waters. There’s still time to plan a Hawaii vacation and pay these magnificent creatures a visit — hop a flight to Honolulu, and they’re everywhere to be seen, right offshore. Here are some of the most popular... 

By April Cafiso Massachusetts is known as Ireland’s 6th county. So if you want to really get into the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, book a Boston hotel room and be there for the big event: Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade . Southie (South Boston) hosts one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the nation, with more than 60,000 people attending each year. This year’s parade is Sunday, March 14 , starting at 1 p.m.... 

By Joe Brancatelli Southwest Airlines got its new terminal at Philadelphia International Airport late last month, and the 800-pound gorilla of low-fare airlines promptly renewed its challenge to US Airways , Philadelphia’s incumbent legacy carrier. Starting June 27, Southwest will fly five times a day between Philadelphia and Boston Logan , one of US Airways’ most profitable monopoly routes. According to government figures, US Airways’... 

  Celebrity Eclipse (Photo: Celebrity Cruise Lines) By Kim Windyka Roll out the red carpet and call the paparazzi! Next month, Celebrity Cruise Lines will introduce the latest addition to its Solstice class, the Celebrity Eclipse . Sailing to the Caribbean and Europe, the Eclipse takes deluxe cruises to a new level with the opening of the first iLounge at sea, where guests will be able to check e-mail, print passes or tickets, and purchase... 

Celebrity Eclipse (Photo: Celebrity Cruise Lines) By Kim Windyka Roll out the red carpet and call the paparazzi! Next month, Celebrity Cruise Lines will introduce the latest addition to its Solstice class, the Celebrity Eclipse . Sailing to the Caribbean and Europe, the Eclipse takes deluxe cruises to a new level with the opening of the first iLounge at sea, where guests will be able to check e-mail, print passes or tickets, and purchase the... 

The Orbitz Hovercraft strikes again, delivering another Hotel Price Assurance check to an unsuspecting traveler. See how easy it is to get an automatic cash refund if another customer books the same hotel room for less. Related Orbitz resources: Hotel Price Assurance Hotels  Read More →

Fort Myers Beach (Photo: Visit Florida) Perhaps our Top 10 Spring Break vacations list inspired you to plan a trip. But you want to save money, too. Not to worry. Orbitz has discovered 10 Spring Break vacation spots with some of the biggest savings on hotels . Wishing for a Mexico vacation for Spring Break? You’re in luck. Four Mexico vacation destinations are on the list — with big hotel savings this year compared to 2009. Prefer... 

Punta Cana beach (Photo: Dominican Republic Tourism) Spring is right around the corner, and if you’re thinking about taking a Spring Break vacation , here’s some inspiration: Orbitz has tallied the most popular Spring Break vacation destinations this year. From beach vacations to family vacations, Cancun to New York, we’ve got the top 10 hottest spots for Spring Break. And for…  Read More →

(Photo: Walt Disney World Resorts) By Erin Kregor Planning a Disney vacation with small children? It can be daunting, but don’t let it intimidate you; Disney World has plenty to offer kids of all ages. Here are some tips and recommendations for traveling with toddlers: Accommodations Consider staying at Disney’s Polynesian Resort . It’s perfect for visiting both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot (both …  Read More →

  Chef at work at BarMasa. (All photos: E.C. Gladstone) By E.C. Gladstone CityCenter, the new giant on the Strip, may have its pros and cons in the competitive field of Las Vegas hotels , but one thing is for sure: it holds a treasure trove of incomparable dining experiences. There are so many that one leading critic in town thought the idea of summing them all up was nearly impossible. Not me. Your tireless blogger has checked out nearly …  Read More →

View from the Pacific Coast Highway (Photo: California Travel & Tourism Commission) By Ari Bendersky I’ve been taking you on a virtual California vacation , with articles about wine country in various parts of the state. I started in the north ( Beyond Napa … ); then moved to central California ( Monterey, Paso Robles … ). Now, in this third and final story, I offer tips for wine tasting on a Southern California vacation.... 

By Joe Brancatelli AirTran Airways makes money, and one of the reasons it does is that the airline flies to communities willing to subsidize the service. The latest: Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is waiving some airport fees and reimbursing AirTran for $250,000 worth of marketing expenses. Beginning May 4, AirTran will fly twice a day from Grand Rapids to Baltimore/Washington and once a day to Orlando . Speaking of BWI, AirTran will also launch... 

By Joe Brancatelli One of my least favorite “amenities” at any airport are those so-called “mobile lounges” at Washington/Dulles airport . The lumbering buses connect the beautiful, but dated, Eero Saarinen terminal with the airport’s departure and arrival gates. After nearly a decade of construction work and $1.5 billion in expense, the Dulles AeroTrain has finally opened to replace some of the “lounges.”... 

By Joe Brancatelli Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers Starwood prides itself on trendy brands like Westin and W hotels , but it is also saddled with Sheraton , one of the least consistent of the old-line hotel names. Starwood says it is pumping $6 billion into an overhaul of Sheraton and has taken the Sheraton name off nearly three dozen hotels that no longer meet the new standards. But then there’s the matter of the 655-room Sheraton... 

By Mike O’Shea They had me at the tropical fish kiddie slides. As an Orbitz employee, it is my solemn duty to travel somewhere warm and beach-infested with the family every holiday season. Last year it was Maui’s Ka’anapali Beach. But with the economy in tatters, we felt prudence was in order. So part of our search criteria was for a destination easier on the wallet. A Mexico vacation was still extremely reasonable due to the…  Read More →