Just the other day I wrote about the introduction of a new Vatican-backed charter airline owned by the private Italian post office, which organizes trips for the Diocese of Rome. Mistral Air is designed specifically to carry pilgrims to Catholic shrines throughout the world. However, since it flies in and out of Europe’s most popular airports its passengers are subject to the same security screening as any other frequent flier. Which is why when pilgrims tried to bring souvenir holy water on board the flight they were given some bad news.
That’s right; not even holy water from the Catholic shrine at Lourdes can get by airport security. To airport screeners the special water is still considered a suspicious liquid. According to news reports, passengers on the new charter airline were forced to hand over all containers of holy water they collected at Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral to security officials at the airport in southern France before boarding a return flight to Rome.
The passengers reportedly didn’t take the news well. Many protested that they had to wait for hours in line to obtain the holy water. I can sympathize with the passengers as I have numerous friends who have traveled to the shrine and also had to wait in long lines to fill their bottles with holy water from the grotto there.
According to news reports, airport officials stood their ground maintaining that they were simply enforcing the international regulations banning passengers from carrying containers with more than 3 ounces of liquid on board a flight.
Ironically, it was Mistral Air that had provided the small bottles shaped like a Madonna for the passengers to use for their holy water.
So, let that be a lesson to anyone out there who is looking to bring home holy water from one of the holiest sites on the planet—pack your water in your checked luggage—-NOT your carry-on.
CRUISING WITHOUT THE KIDS
I don’t know about you, but when I think of Carnival Cruises the first thing that comes to my mind is cruise line that caters to families. That’s why I didn’t blink twice when I heard that Carnival has new plans to add kid friendly water play zones to eight of its ships.
Who knew the idea would be met with such resistance from cruisers who don’t consider having a bunch a kids running wild on a ship “fun.” Apparently, shortly after Carnival’s plans were unveiled many of the company’s regular passengers complained that the new addition would result in the pool deck being overrun with kids. When the execs at Carnival caught wind of the uproar they quickly issued a follow up statement, which pointed out, that the line also is adding adult-only deck top areas to the ships.
The new kid-free zones will debut in October. Score one for the kid-haters. Goodness people… can’t we all just get along?
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