COMING AND GOING

Sunday, April 1, 2007

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CRUISE NEWS
Over the Rail

The dramatic rescue at sea last week of two cruise passengers who fell off the balcony of the Grand Princess ocean liner made CoGo wonder: How often do cruisers fall overboard?

There's no official source keeping count, but Canadian professor Ross Klein, a self-described cruise junkie, lists 75 accounts of cruise passengers going overboard since 2003 on his Web site, http://www.cruisejunkie.com/. He gathers his information mainly through news clippings. His list includes people who were saved and apparent suicides.

Between 2003 and 2005, 24 people went missing from ships that are members of the Cruise Lines International Association, according to the trade group, whose membership includes most lines operating out of North America. The FBI investigated 12 disappearances of people from cruise ships between January 2002 and February 2007, according to the FBI. That number doesn't reflect all cruise-related missing-persons cases, because the FBI has limited jurisdiction over crimes aboard ships.

It's hard to say what happened in the cases investigated "due to the inability to locate bodies," an FBI official told Congress last week. However, investigators believe alcohol was involved in five cases; foul play was suspected in four.

The 22-year-old man and 20-year-old woman who fell overboard last week are very lucky not to be showing up in missing-persons stats. After a four-hour search, the woman was found about 150 miles off the coast of Galveston, Tex. As she was being hoisted aboard, rescuers spotted the man. He decided to continue the cruise; the woman returned home. At the request of the passengers, details about how it happened are not being released, according to a Princess Cruises spokeswoman.

CAR KEYS
Debit Card Blues

CoGo watched helplessly as the young woman at the Budget counter broke into tears. She really needed the car she'd reserved and had enough on her debit card to cover the rental, but not the deposit.

You need to know: Many car companies check your available balance, even if you're using a credit card, to make sure you have enough to cover the rental and a deposit. Thrifty and Budget, for example, require that you have a balance of either $ 350 or the estimated rental charge plus $150, whichever number is greater. Debit cards may pose further problems that you can avoid by knowing the rules.

* Make sure your debit card isn't blacklisted. All Hertz locations, for example, accept most debit cards but reject those issued by companies that have stiffed Hertz. Ask when reserving.

* Be aware that company policies can vary by location. Independently managed branches can set their own rules.

UPRIGHT AND LOCKED
Hurry Up and Wait

Arrive at the airport three hours early for a 7: 20 a. m. flight? Will the ticket counter even be open?

That's what Sandy Evans of Falls Church wanted to know after receiving instructions from Spirit Airlines about when to arrive at Reagan National for an early-morning flight to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. An agent told Evans she couldn't say when the ticket counter would open but repeated the three-hour advice.

Helpful to know: Airlines, Spirit included, say on their Web sites when ticket counters open at various airports and advise you when to arrive. But can you trust the info?

Not always. Spirit's site says its ticket counter at National opens at 4: 30 a.m. But Spirit spokeswoman Natasha Babulal told CoGo that it opens at 5 a .m. and that passengers should arrive between two and 2 1/2 hours before their flights.

"We are working to update the info on our confirmation e-mails to reflect the two to 2 1/2 hours listed on the Web site," Babulal said. CoGo recommends that it also change its Web site to reflect the true counter opening time. And while it's at it, maybe it can also speed things up so customers don't need to allow so much time to check in.

The usual rule of thumb for domestic flights for most airlines at most airports: Arrive an hour early, 90 minutes if you're checking bags.

TRAVEL TICKER

Harmony Pharmacy and Health Center , which recently opened at Newark Liberty International Airport, hopes to come soon to two Washington area airports. "We're having conversations with folks at Dulles and BWI," said company co-founder Kenneth Corroon. In addition to a fully stocked pharmacy, Harmony has a clinic with nurse practitioners able to prescribe medication. . . . Toronto will host a major arts festival June 1-10 that will include free events; world premieres of plays, dances and concerts; and literary readings. Details: http://www.luminato.com/.

BARGAIN OF THE WEEK
Milwaukee Way

AirTran has a systemwide sale for travel through Oct. 3. Fares range from $49 to $159 each way from Baltimore, and from $79 to $159 from Washington Dulles or Reagan National. For example, the round-trip fare from BWI to Milwaukee is $117 (including $19 taxes); other airlines are charging about $163. Book by April 10. Fourteen-day advance purchase required. Lowest fares for Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday travel..

Reporting: Cindy Loose

Help feed CoGo. Send travel news, road reports and juicy tattles tocogo@washpost.com. By fax: 202-912-3609. By mail: CoGo, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.