Vacationers Should Apply for Passport Now

If you're planning to travel to a timeshare on the warm, sunny beaches of the Caribbean or Mexico for the winter holidays, make sure you apply for your passport now. The government has finally caught up on its processing backload and the temporary reprieve is over. Beginning Monday, October 1, U.S. citizens returning to the country from Mexico, Bermuda, the Caribbean or Canada will be required to show their passports. Although the new passport rule went into effect in January, it was temporarily rescinded in June because government workers couldn't keep up with demand. In January the average wait for a passport was 6 to 8 weeks; 3 weeks if you paid for expedited service. By the beginning of summer, more than 2 million people were still waiting for their passports. Public ire over missed and cancelled trips led the government to accept photo ID and proof of passport application in lieu of an actual passport over the summer. (If you left the country before September 30, you can still return using an ID and proof of application.)

"Right now, all of our passport service agencies are back to a 6- to 8-week processing time for routine passport applications and no more than 3 weeks using our expedited service, said Cy Ferenchak, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs. "If you plan ahead under those standards you should have ample time to apply for and receive a passport before your scheduled departure time."

Before the terrorist fears of 9/11, U.S. citizens could travel between Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda and Canada without a passport. Now air travelers must show a passport to return to the U.S., and in 2008 land and sea travelers will also have to meet the requirement which could cause another logjam of applications in early 2008. The standard passport application fee is $97 for delivery in 6 to 8 weeks; add $60 plus the cost of overnight delivery for expedited 3-week service. Passports are good for 10 years. For more detailed information on passport regulations, visit the U.S. State Department's website at http://travel.state.gov/travel. You'll find application forms on the State Department's website, but you can also apply at many post offices. This fall many communities are sponsoring passport events at local town halls and libraries. The goal of these community events is to make winter travel easier for residents by bringing to one location forms, passport photo services and officials who can answer questions and accept completed passport applications. Check with your local government community affairs office or post office to see if such an event is planned in your area. If you're planning a trip, click the post title for one-stop shopping on Timeshare Giant. We can assist you with all your travel needs.

Timeshares Let You "Try Out" Retirement Sites

When you're young, retirement seems light years away. By the time you're middle age, you feel like it can't come soon enough. "It's never to early to start planning for retirement," my financial planner keeps telling me. But she's always armed with a dreary stack of figures and portfolio options. Necessary, but ho hum boring. The part of retirement planning that excites me is the where.

Beach or mountain? City or country? Small town or metropolis? North or south? There are so many options and good things to recommend each choice. I finally hit upon the perfect solution. I'm trying them all out -- one timeshare at a time!

I made a list of all the places I might like to retire to and each year I rent or exchange a week at a timeshare in one of those locations. By staying at a timeshare, I'm guaranteed endless variety, superior accommodations, and access to fabulous amenities. The bonus is that making arrangements and planning my trip is quick, easy and hassle-free. I figure by the time I reach retirement age, I'll have narrowed down the field considerably.

The October 1, 2007 issue of U.S. News & World Report gave me some new places to add to my list of golden years hot spots. The article on America's Best Places to Retire lists 10 great cities across the country that have the amenities and services retirees are looking for, including cost of living, climate, low crime rate, healthcare access, educational opportunities, and recreational, entertainment and cultural venues.

San Francisco, one of my favorite cities, made the top 10 list. It's easy to leave your heart there. Cable cars, twisty streets, Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate -- San Fran is just teeming with exciting places to see and things to do. On Timeshare Giant you'll find nine timeshares for sale or rent that cater to every taste.

A stay at the chic four-star, Gold Crown boutique Club Donatello (above, right) puts you right in the heart of Union Square. Like a cozy bed and breakfast atmosphere? Live the genteel life of yesteryear at the Jackson Court City Shares (above left) brownstone mansion in prestigious Pacific Heights. You can experience the elegant life of robber barons and gold tycoons at the Nob Hill Inn which has catered to the rich and famous since the mid 1800s. If you prefer peace and quiet, you'll want to stay at Shell Vacations Club (right) on the quiet edge of legendary Fisherman's Wharf. Click the post title to preview all of the outstanding San Francisco timeshare properties available for purchase or rent on Timeshare Giant.

Travel Logs Capture Precious Memories

Travel logs capture those special moments that make a trip memorable. Sometimes those isolated magical moments transcend the vacation. Unfortunately, the human memory being what it is, those precious memories are often lost if not recorded. But those who keep a travel log capture those moments for all time. Over the centuries many venerable travelers have kept a journal of their travels. From the adventures of Marco Polo to the diaries of pioneer wives heading west, travel logs provide a window to a specific time and place in our world. They chronicle not just the places, people and activities of a time, but the thoughts and feelings of the people who lived then.

Travel logs come in many flavors. My uncle kept a movie journal of his travels with my aunt. After he retired, they travelled all over the world. He shot rolls and rolls of Super 8 film, then spent hours splicing them together into silent travelogues, complete with placards announcing each new site. Watching them is like travelling back in time. My uncle captured many historic moments and places, some of which no longer exist, like the giant Afghan Buddhas destroyed by the Taliban. He and my aunt were on the first tour into China when it reopened to Westerners during the Nixon presidency. The changes in the world my uncle chronicled in his films are startling.

My cousin keeps a highly personal travel log. A writer and an artist, she takes an unlined journal with her on travels. She fills the pages with sketches of local scenes and people, interspersed with paragraphs of her thoughts and perceptions. Sometimes she's fanciful, creating a short story about people she sees or meets. Sometimes she is inspired to write poetry. Her journals are a very personal remembrance of her travels -- what she felt, what she thought, who she met.

A modern gal, my twenty-something niece captures memories of her trips with her digital camera. Since her junior high school band trip she has filled dozens of scrapbooks with snaps of her travels. She enjoys pasting in the pictures and using colorful markers to add captions and blurbs to describe special moments and crazy things that happened with her friends.

Perhaps the best reason to keep a travel log is to help you remember those magical, sometimes comical, sometimes poignant moments that occur during a trip that are, unfortunately, too often forgotten. Re-reading old travel logs brings back a rush of memories and with them the sense of wonder you first experienced.

Valuable Tips for Selling Your Timeshare

If you decide to sell your timeshare, there are certain important things you should know and do. On Timeshare Giant you'll find a helpful Timeshare Seller's Checklist in the Toolbox at the bottom of each web page. It's just one of many helpful tools available on the Timeshare Giant website to make buying, selling or renting a timeshare easy to do. When you sell your timeshare, pay particular attention to the following:

• Collect complete information about your timeshare, including whether it is a point system, deeded or right-to-use property.
• Buyers will want to know if use of your timeshare is floating or fixed and the weeks it is available for use. They'll also want to know if use is guaranteed every year or just odd or even years and whether the timeshare is available for use this year.
• Obtain information on the exchange company. Buyers will also want details on how exchanges work.
• Compile a list of annual maintenance fees, property taxes and any other expenses normally associated with your timeshare.
• Find out about escrow requirements and fees from a title company as well as membership transfer requirements and fees from your resort owner services department.
• Post your timeshare for sale ad on Timeshare Giant. It's easy and a basic six-month listing is absolutely free; just click here.

You can access the complete Timeshare Seller's Checklist on the Timeshare Giant website by clicking the link or post title. Timeshare Giant is your one-stop shopping place for buying, selling and renting timeshares. Visit the Timeshare Giant website to preview timeshares for sale or rent from all over the world, to list your timeshare for sale or rent, to make all your vacation plans, and for lots of helpful timeshare tips and resources.

Share Vacation Snaps at Online Photo Sites

Can't wait to share your vacation pictures with your friends and family? Photo-sharing websites allow you to download your snaps so friends across the country can view them and even order prints. Do you really want to make grandma wait until you get home to see little Billy taking his first dip in the ocean or eating his first handful of sand? Yahoo Photos, one of the most popular online photo-hosting sites is shutting down today (September 20). You still have a few hours left to order a disk of any pictures you have stored there before they disappear forever into cyber space, or you can download them for free onto your desktop. Then what? Time to transfer your pics to another photo-hosting site. Here's a rundown on the five most-popular sites:

• Kodak Easy Share Gallery (http://www.kodakgallery.com/) provides 12 months of unlimited free online storage (timed from the date of your first upload). Free storage stays in effect as long as you make a purchase once a year.
• Shutterfly (http://www.shutterfly.com/) provides free storage and allows free sharing. The site also offers tools that help you turn prints into greeting cards and postcards.
• Snapfish (http://www.snapfish.com/) offers free storage and sharing as well as special tools for using snaps on cards, etc.
• Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/) provides free basic storage and sharing accounts with a charge for premium services.
• Photobucket (http://www.photobucket.com/) offers a free account with storage for 10,000 images. More than enough to keep grandma happy!

New Service Lets You Leave Baby Gear at Home

Traveling parents often feel like pack mules lugging around all the gear needed to succor an infant. I've long thought that for such tiny beings, babies consume a disproportionate amount of the available space when a family travels. Strollers, highchairs, car seats, cribs, toys, clothes, diapers, food, bottles -- if you're traveling with an infant, you need them all. Fortunately enterprising entrepreneurs have come to our rescue. You no longer have to pack half your home when traveling with little ones. Pack light and leave the heavy lifting to others. Vacationers can now rent all the essentials needed by their junior explorers, even toys! While the market is currently dominated by two companies, the increasing number of traveling families makes this a growth market.

• Baby's Away has affiliates in more than 70 locations nationwide. Daily rental on a full-size crib is $12; and ExerSaucer, $6.
• The Traveling Baby Co. operates in several states with plans to expand. Daily rental on a high-end stroller is $18; a car seat, $8.

While prices might seem extravagant, in reality they're fairly cost effective for vacationers. Avis charges $10 per day for a car seat. Many airlines charge $80 per bag for bags over the free 2-bag limit. And there's no way to pack a crib, bouncy chair or the essential baby swing in a suitcase. However, you can rent just about anything a baby or young child needs from toys to bathtubs, monitors to nursing pillows.

Many savvy parents have started using the rental services when visiting grandparents, even when they live close enough to drive. "It's just easier and it cuts the clutter," said one young mother of two. "After you get two car seats in the back seat and a couple of suitcases and the diaper bag in the trunk, there's not a lot of room for anything else."

Persian Gulf Fast Becoming Timeshare Vacation Mecca

Americans may not consider the Middle East a vacation hot spot, but luxury tourism is flourishing in the Persian Gulf region. The second annual Middle East Leisure Real Estate Symposium just concluded in Dubai, vacation mecca of the Middle Eastern elite. Hosted by timeshare giants Group RCI and NorthCourseSM Leisure Real Estate Solutions, the symposium gave Middle Eastern developers a master class in leisure site development with "access to some of the best brains in the business," said Claude Attala, Managing Director of NorthCourse's Dubai division.

The timeshare and fractional ownership industries in the Persian Gulf region are expected to surge over the next decade, bringing in revenues of $1.2 billion. Recent research shows that 68% of Persian Gulf nationals are interested in purchasing timeshares or fractional ownerships.

Diamond of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is perhaps the most elite tourist destination on the Persian Gulf. Once the unassuming home of Bedouin traders, the modern gem is an eclectic and exciting mix of the new and old. Its ultramodern skyscrapers thrusting into the clear blue Gulf sky, Dubai's storied beaches and throbbing nightlife beckon the rich and chic of the Middle East, Africa, India and an increasing number of Europeans. Westerners will feel at home in the modern city where English is as easily spoken as Arabic.

Drawn by Dubai's renowned tax-free shopping, tourists browse chic shops of all kinds from high couture fashions to high-end electronics. The pristine beaches and clear turquoise water of the Persian Gulf make Dubai a top water-sport destination and world-class diving center. At the Nad al Sheba racetrack you can bet on camel races by day and sleek thoroughbreds at night. More than 400 restaurants showcase Dubai's ethnic diversity. Gorgeous golf courses, beautiful beaches, premium shopping, exciting nightlife, pampering spas and fascinating historic sites provide tourists with endless choices in Dubai.

Shown at top right is Dubai's famous Palm Island, home of the exclusive Royal Club at Palm-Jumeirah, a premium timeshare destination.

What Is a Fractional Timeshare?

Fractional timeshare ownership guarantees you the use of a timeshare property or resort during several weeks of the year -- that is, for a fraction of the year. Typically, fractional interests range from a minimum of 2 to 13 or more weeks per year, far more than the one week per year common in most timeshare plans. Many owners choose to purchase a fractional timeshare as opposed to a second or vacation home. With fractional ownership, you need only pay for the time you actually plan to be in residence, a considerable savings over purchasing a second home, which generally goes unused for a considerable portion of the year. Whether you're in residence or not, you pay to maintain, heat, insure and provide utility services for a second home. With a second home, you also pay for mortgage and taxes for a full year. With a fractional interest in a timeshare, you share all those expenses with other owners, prorated to reflect the actual fraction of the year the timeshare is available for your exclusive use. Fractional ownership originated in the U.S. in 1994 with groups of family members or close friends pooling their resources to buy vacation properties. The average fractional owners are married empty-nesters in their mid-50s with an average household income of $500,000. Generally, ownership is divided into fourths, eighths or 13ths with each owner enjoying an equal number of weeks at the property. With fewer restrictions than most timeshares, fractionals can be rented out, shared with family and friends, sold or left to your heir in your will. Like timeshares, fractionals can be exchanged, allowing owners to vacation in other locales. Fractional ownership offers vacationers some distinct advantages, including the opportunity to vacation longer and more often and the opportunity to vacation in multiple seasons. Many fractional owners enjoy the seasonal delights of both summer and winter at their timeshare.

Fixed or Flex: What Timeshare Plan Is Best?

Timeshare ownership plans come in two basic flavors: fixed weeks or flex (floating) weeks. Which type is best? It depends on your vacation preferences. Fixed Weeks: You are permanently assigned ownership of a specific unit and reserved a specific week during the year when the timeshare will be available for your exclusive use. The advantage of owning a fixed week is that you always know when and where you will be vacationing. When you want a bit of variety or can't use your week, you can deposit it into an exchange system.

Fixed weeks give you and your family the opportunity to lay down some vacation roots. You can start building vacation traditions, activities your family will look forward to year after year. You may develop friendships with other couples and families that vacation during the same week you do and plan joint events for your annual get-togethers.

Vacationing in the same spot at the same time year after year can provide the foundation for building wonderful family memories. When my friend was a child, every year her family spent the last two weeks in July at her grandmother's cottage on Lake Michigan. She tells grand stories of blueberry picking with friends, everyone trooping over the next morning for a gut-busting blueberry pancake feast. She remembers with fondness lazy days swimming in the lake and building sandcastles on the beach with her sisters. Her grandmother's cottage in Michigan was the site of many early life adventures: learning to sail (and dunking her dad in the process), her first kiss (stolen under the creek bridge), weekly treks to Sherman's for homemade ice cream (and the best chocolate sodas this side of heaven), and long explores back into the sand dunes searching for the elusive deer herd (many hoof prints followed, no deer sighted).

Returning to the same spot every year adds a cozy comfortableness to your vacation. You know what to bring, where things are, what there is to do. Each year new people and new activities will add a little pizazz to your vacation, but you'll find yourself looking forward most to your traditional activities. My friend remembers her childhood vacations with such fondness that she and her husband recently decided to buy a timeshare and start building their own family memories.

Flex (Floating) Weeks: Flex or floating weeks allow you varying degrees of flexibility in selecting the week you use your timeshare property. At some resorts you can schedule your week at any time during the year; others restrict flexibility to certain seasons. Scheduling is based on availability. Be prepared to vacation in a different unit each year. While you may be able to request a particular unit, assignments are based on availability. Resorts with similar seasons such as Hawaii or the Caribbean are more likely to offer the flex system.

If you have a hectic work or family schedule or aren't able to vacation at the same time every year, a flex system is more apt to fit into your lifestyle. A flex timeshare allows you to fit your vacation into your life at your convenience.

If you purchase a timeshare primarily for its exchange value, the flex system facilitates easy exchanges. If you find variety the spice of life, through the exchange system you can vacation in a different exotic locale every year. One year you can ski the slopes of Switzerland; the next, you can bask on the white sands of the Caribbean.

I read about a couple who upon retirement decided to shuck off the shackles of their staid and ordinary life and travel the world -- one timeshare at a time. They became quite adventuresome travelers, eagerly planning each vacation with an eye toward soaking up as much of the local culture as possible. Using a timeshare as their home base, they have snorkeled along Australia's Great Barrier Reef, taken cooking classes in Thailand, cruised the fjords of Norway, and bicycled through France's wine country. With the advantage of timeshare exchanges, the world is now their oyster.

New Hampshire's Fall Colors Beguile Vacationers

The dog days of summer are behind us, the crisp days of autumn nearly here. Soon the leaves will be turning from green to brilliant yellows, oranges and reds. Fall is summer's final, most glorious sunset.

Fall foliage will be at its most dazzling in New England from late September through mid-October. Fall in New Hampshire offers vacationers idyllic crisp fall days perfect for hiking and biking or strolling through quaint little shops in charming small towns. Beautiful scenic drives wind through hills ablaze with color. Fall in New Hampshire is a feast for the eyes.

Timeshare Giant offers 39 wonderful timeshare properties for rent in New Hampshire, from luxurious resorts in the White Mountains to cozy condos in the Lake Region. Your perfect fall getaway is just a click away. Click on the post title to take a virtual tour of all 39 properties and choose your next vacation destination.

Did you know that the bright reds, oranges and yellows of fall are present in tree leaves even when they're green. The colors are just hidden by an overpowering amount of green-pigmented chlorophyll. As the sun dims and the nights cool in fall, chlorophyll levels drop, exposing the yellow, orange and red-pigmented chemicals in the leaves. A brilliant fall foliage display requires a decent amount of late summer rainfall, sunny fall days and consistently cool nights.

Before you book your New Hampshire getaway, click here to get a fall foliage update. Want to know what you're seeing when you gaze upon fall's colorful palette? University of Illinois Extension has prepared a wonderful list of trees and shrubs with their fall colors; just click the link.

There are many great timeshare resort properties to call home while enjoying the New Hampshire fall colors. Click here for a complete list of New Hampshire timeshare resort properties.

Luggage Nightmares Plague Europe

You've had a long flight. You're excited to start your vacation -- that luxurious timeshare awaits. You can picture it as you wait by the luggage carousel: you and your sweetie sipping cool drinks as you relax on a breezy balcony, gazing below at the clear azure waters lapping the pristine white sands.

Hang onto that thought. It may be the only thing that keeps you from erupting like Vesuvius because in just a moment you're going to find out that the airlines have lost your luggage.

Lost luggage is every traveler's nightmare and is reaching monstrous levels. The problem has become so rampant in Europe that travelers have been advised to avoid checking bags altogether. The Association of European Airlines which includes all major European carriers is recommending that travelers limit their bags to carry-ons. On average 10 passengers per flight lost bags on European carriers between April and June.

Cited as the worst of the worst, British Airways is on track to lose a record 1.3 million bags this year. If you watch the morning talk show Live With Regis and Kelly, you may have heard Regis Philbin rant about British Airways losing two of his wife's bags this summer. British Airlines was forced to use freighter aircraft to reunite passengers with their luggage after 20,000 lost bags piled up in London's Heathrow Airport this summer. A shortage of baggage handlers at Heathrow has only compounded the problem.

But Britain isn't the only problem area. Last month Italian travelers experienced similar luggage nightmares at Rome's Fiumicino Airport. In the U.S. lost luggage claims soared 26% in June compared to last year.

Industry experts say the problem is multi-faceted, a factor of increased airline traffic, a spike in delayed flights with less time to transfer baggage to connecting flights, increased security screening and restrictions on carry-on bags, and the growth of budget airlines which require passengers to check and recheck their own bags.

What can you do to help insure that you and your luggage both arrive at your vacation destination at the same time? Try these tips:

• Select nonstop flights when possible.
• Don't check in at the last minute.
• Place identification outside and inside checked bags.
• Make sure the attendant checking your bags places a destination tag on each one. Always remove old tags to avoid confusion.
• Do not lock your bags as they may need to be opened for security. If you wish to lock your bags, go to the Transportation Safety Administration website for information about locks that airline personnel can open and relock.
• Hang onto your claim check.

For a wide selection of luggage and luggage tags, visit the Timeshare Giant Store. More information on the Embassy genuine buffalo leather tote shown above is available at the Timeshare Giant Store.

How to Rent Your Timeshare

Timeshare Giant makes renting your timeshare easy. Just follow these simple steps and you’ll have your timeshare rented in no time -- and at no cost on Timeshare Giant:

• Rules. Check with your resort or exchange company about rental rules. Generally, there are no restrictions on renting resort timeshares, but exchange companies may prohibit rentals.
• Rates. To determine a fair rental rate, ask your resort for a rental rate sheet for all seasons. Check the rental section on Timeshare Giant to see what other owners are charging for timeshares in your location. You can also check the vacation rental section of the newspaper where your timeshare is located. (You can access most newspaper classifieds online.)
• Competition. Take a look at the getaway and bonus week inventories at timeshare exchanges II and RCI. If inventory is high for the location and weeks you want to rent, you may want to drop your price a bit to make it more competitive.
• Advertise. Write up a dazzling (but accurate) description of your property. Include any special benefits of the resort or area. Just click the post title to get to the Rent Your Timeshare section of our website to find out how easy it is to advertise your rental timeshare on Timeshare Giant. There is absolutely no charge or obligation for our free, 6-month basic listing. Premium and gallery listings which provide additional exposure are also available for very reasonable rates.
• Contract. Protect yourself by having the renter sign a rental agreement.
• Money. You'll want to make sure you get 100% of the rent up front. Too many renters change their mind even after paying a deposit. You'll also want to get a 10% security deposit, returnable 14 days after checkout. A security deposit gives renters an added incentive to treat your timeshare kindly. Use PayPal (highly recommended and well worth the 4% processing fee for the convenience and security it offers you -- and you get your money right away, no waiting on the mail or banks) or make sure all checks have cleared well before the renter takes possession.
• Check in. Two weeks before the rental, check with the resort to make sure there are no problems with the reservation and that any special needs (non-smoking room, etc.) will be accommodated.
• Check out. The day after the renter leaves, check with the resort to make sure there were no problems or damage. Don't return the renter's security check until you get the resort gives you the all clear.

Fleet Week in San Diego Filled With Thrills

If you want to feel your soul stir with pride and your spine tingle with excitement, you need to head to sunny San Diego for Fleet Week. A stirring combination of patriotic pride, joyful celebration, amazing dare deviltry, lightning speed, military precision and raw might, Fleet Week packs an abundance of activities into a month-long celebration of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Fleet Week runs from September 17 through October 27 with special activities planned for each weekend. Click here for complete information.

If you feel the need for speed, San Diego during Fleet Week is the place to go. Fast-paced thrills abound, from precision fighter jet demonstrations at the Miramar Air Show to classic vintage cars dodging displays of military hardware in the Coronado Speed Festival to the amazing Red Bull Air Race World Series.

Take the infamous Marine Corp Boot Camp Challenge and test your metal on the arduous 3-mile obstacle course. Tour a host of Navy ships for an insider's view of these awesome vessels. Don't miss the awe-inspiring Port of San Diego Sea & Air Parade as massive vessels from aircraft carriers to frigates ply the bay waters in a spectacular display of military might.

In between events, you won't lack for things to do in San Diego. Make sure you take time to visit the world renowned San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park. Boasting one of the most magnificent botanical gardens in the country, the zoo covers 1,900 acres and is home to more than one million plants. In the evening enjoy the eclectic shops, cozy restaurants and chic clubs in San Diego's historic Gaslamp Quarter. Marvel at Sea World's acrobatic porpoises or see what amazing things people can make from tiny blocks at Legoland. Seventy miles of Pacific Ocean coastline support year-round outdoor recreation from surfing to boating and swimming. Shop, play, golf, pamper yourself at a spa or just lie on the beach and relax! San Diego is your vacation wonderland.

If you want to be in the heart of the action during Fleet Week and at the center of all that San Diego has to offer, rent a San Diego timeshare. You'll find luxurious beach accommodations and chic in-town lodgings right in the acclaimed Gaslamp Quarter. Choose from resorts like the famed Coronado Beach Resort (right) or comfortable condos. Let Timeshare Giant make all your travel arrangements; just click the link and relax. We'll take care of all your vacation needs.

There is a wide selection of timeshare resort properties to call home while enjoying San Diego. Click here for a complete list of timeshare resort properties in San Diego.

Travelers Leave Their "Green" Behaviors at Home

When they travel, most people leave their "green" behaviors at home. Avid recyclers toss soda cans and water bottles in the trash. Hybrid car owners board gas-guzzling buses. Energy conscious homeowners walk into hotel rooms, crank up the A/C and leave the lights burning when they leave the room. In a new study, 59% of travelers said they don't pay attention to "keeping it green" when they travel. The study sampled environmentally conscious consumers who practiced energy saving and recycling efforts at home. On the road, the study found, their actions weren't quite so "green."

• 60% leave a bathroom light on overnight in their hotel room.
• 70% use a new sample-size bottle of shampoo and conditioner for every shower.
• 63% leave the lights on when they leave their hotel room.
• 75% want their bed linens changed daily.
• 85% let the water run while brushing their teeth.

Why would practices ingrained and carped on at home, go so easily by the wayside when traveling? Convenience and money. Recycling options (separate plastic, can and paper bins, etc.) are not available at most tourist locations or hotels. But the most common reason given for slipping up was lack of money saved.

One frequent traveler admitted, "When I stay in a hotel, one reason I use water and energy less efficiently is because I don't have to pay for it."

Element hotels is trying to make it easier for travellers to stay "green" when they travel. They've come up with some energy-saving solutions geared to provide a relaxing and comfortable -- and "green" -- hotel stay. Here are some of the things you'll soon find in Element hotels:

• Shampoo and conditioner dispensers instead of sample bottles.
• Low-flow sink faucets and toilets that will save about 4,359 gallons of water annually per room.
• Environmentally friendly decor and design, like flooring and wall-covering make of 100% recycled materials.
• Recycling bins.
• Energy-saving compact florescent light bulbs in lamps and ceiling fixtures which will reduce energy used by 75%.
• Biophilic design that uses natural light to "bring the outdoors in" and allows travelers to connect with their environment.

Starwood Senior VP Sue Brush explained the Element concept: "No one wants a lecture on the environment when they travel. The idea behind Element is to make smart choices intuitive and to support our guests' sustainable lifestyle, so we can simultaneously accommodate our guests and the environment."

Timeshare Giant Increases Website Security

We want you to feel safe and secure when you shop and post information on Timeshare Giant. In a move to maximize internet security, the Timeshare Giant website is now certified by ControlScan, the internet's first and only business-to-business third-party identity theft certification service. The new service will increase the privacy and security of Timeshare Giant customers and prevent hackers and thieves from gaining access to sensitive personal information. Under its Corporate Secure Plan, ControlScan will conduct daily website vulnerability scans, tests and audits of the Timeshare Giant website and certify the site's security.

"Privacy and security are the main concerns of consumers," said ControlScan President Aaron Biddar. "Consumers want to do business with companies who take privacy and security seriously. By passing the audits associated with the Corporate Secure Plan, Timeshare Giant's visitors are reassured that this company is committed to protecting their personal and credit card information and providing a safe online shopping experience."

Companies passing ControlScan's security process receive Verified Secure, ID Theft Protected, Privacy Protected and Business Background Reviewed certificates which are tested and renewed daily. Before posting sensitive personal data, Timeshare Giant customers receive independent third-party verification of the site's security. At Timeshare Giant you can shop and browse with absolute peace of mind. ControlScan's PCI Compliance security certifications are quickly becoming the industry standard for privacy protection. (To learn more, click the post title.) Using a unique global protection system designed to meet security mandates from around the world, ControlScan certifications provide shoppers with the greatest possible degree of internet security. With ControlScan certification in force, Timeshare Giant customers can shop with confidence, knowing that their privacy and vital information are securely protected.

Volunteer Packages Add Satisfaction to Cruise Vacations

Business is booming for cruise lines. Considered by many to be the ultimate vacation, cruises provide pampered luxury, exciting ports of call, fascinating side trips, an amazing breadth of activities, plenty of variety and fun for all ages, and those unbelievably decadent buffets. Cruise lines and their passengers spent $17.6 billion in the United States last year. Direct spending related to the cruise industry rose 9% in 2006, on top of 2005's 10% increase, according to figures recently released by the Cruise Lines International Association. One of the more unusual cruise experiences combines the relaxation of a luxury cruise with the satisfaction of helping others. The Our Bear Cares program offered by Cruise West, a small-ship line anchored in Seattle, offers optional volunteer programs with many of its cruise packages. For a reasonable fee, Cruise West partners with local charities in various ports-of-call. Participants are provided with overnight hotel accommodations, transfers, some meals and the satisfaction of helping a local community. A January 2008 Cruise West cruise along the Mexican coast in the Gulf of California offers a Paint Party where cruise participants can spend a day painting children's dormitories at a Mexican orphanage in La Paz. The cost of the two-night trip is an additional $299 per person. Cruise fares aboard the 138-passenger Spirit of Yorktown start at $2,399 a person, double. Cruise West has been visiting the La Paz orphanage since it initiated its Mexican route in 1999. Annual visits have provided the children with toys, silverware so all the children could eat at the same time, toothbrushes and toothpaste, food and supplies. During a 2006 Cruise West trip to Panama, volunteers painted the Embera schoolhouse and donated supplies for the village's 60 students. "We needed 30 people and we got 70," said Jeff Krida, Cruise West president. Click here to find out more about Cruise West's Our Bear Cares program. Volunteer vacations are a growing trend in the travel industry. Since 2005 volunteer vacation interest has risen from 6% to 11% in 2007, according to a recent study by the Travel Industry Association of America. Many families make it a cross-generational experience including children and grandparents. Retirees, who make up a significant segment of the cruise demographic, are among the most avid participants. For more information on cruise travel, click the post title

Timeshare Purchase Tips

If you've decided to join the throngs of vacation goers who have discovered the delights of vacationing in timeshares, you should be aware that there are two basic types of purchase plans: deeded and non-deeded.

• In a deeded plan, you purchase an ownership interest in a piece of real estate. You actually own a portion of the property and structure.
• In a non-deeded plan, you purchase a lease, license or club membership that lets you use the property for a specified time period each year for a specific number of years. While what you own is a piece of paper, that paper gives you the legal use of the property.

In both types of purchases the cost of the unit will depend on the season and length of time you wish to purchase. For example, a week in Aspen during January ski season is worth more than a week in July.

As with any home purchase, read contract papers carefully and make sure you understand what you are buying. You may want your attorney to review any documents you will be asked to sign. Consider these points when buying a timeshare:

• Practicality. People buy timeshares for the convenience of pre-arranged vacation facilities. Make sure you'll be able to use your timeshare every year. Some questions to ask yourself: Are your vacation plans subject to last minute changes? Do they vary in length or season each year? Will you be physically and financially healthy enough to travel to your timeshare?
• Investment. A timeshare is an investment in leisure time and quality of life. You are unlikely to gain financially from the resale of your timeshare and will probably not recoup your initial investment.
• Cost. In determining whether to invest in a timeshare, make sure you factor in all the costs of purchase, including: mortgage payments, closing costs, broker commission, finance charges, annual maintenance fees, taxes, travel costs.
• Documents. Thoroughly read and make sure you understand your purchase documents. Ask your attorney to check over any contracts or agreements you will be asked to sign. Ask if there is a cooling-off period during which you can cancel and get a refund. If not, ask to have it included in the contract. If the seller tries to rush you or won't let you take the documents home for review, walk away.
• Promises. Oral promises are worthless. Make sure all oral promises made by the salesperson are written into the contract.
• Exchanges. Find out if you can arrange trades with other resort units in different locations. Ask about fees and limits. Some programs will not allow you to trade up to a peak time or more exotic location.
• Reputation. You want to ensure that your timeshare will be properly maintained and managed. Research the track record of the seller, developer and management company before you buy. Ask for a copy of the maintenance budget and find out how the property is maintained. Visit the timeshare and talk to current owners. Check with the Better Business Bureau and consumer protection agencies to see if any complaints have been filed.
• Default. Make sure you know your rights if the management company has financial problems or defaults. Make sure your contract contains a non-disturbance provision clause guaranteeing your continued use in the event of default. It should also have a non-performance protection clause guaranteeing your ownership rights.