The U.S. Senate passed an amendment last week that could delay for 17 more months a plan to require passports or other government-approved documentation for U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico cross-border travel. The amendment, sponsored by senators Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), would push the deadline to June 1, 2009. As the current requirement now stands, the effective date is Jan. 1, 2008 for U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico cross-border travel.

JetBlue Airways was named last week the best low cost, no-frills airline´´ by OAG, the global travel and transport information company, as part of their 2006 Airline of the Year Awards. JetBlue was nominated for Best Airline Based in North America as well. “On behalf of JetBlue´s 10,000 crewmembers, I am pleased and honored that JetBlue was recognized with this prestigious award,´´ said David Neeleman, JetBlue founder and CEO. “This distinction truly speaks to our crewmembers´ dedication to bring humanity back to air travel one customer at a time.´´

U.S. Coast Guard officers removed the captain from a Celebrity cruise ship last week after he failed a breath alcohol test during a routine safety inspection. Petty Officer Shawn Eggert said inspectors administered the breathalyzer after they detected an odor of alcohol on his breath.

Laura Carabello´s book “A Story of Passion in Aruba,” the newly released novel, is generating positive publicity for the island where happiness lives. Tourists will learn about a side of Aruba that has gone virtually unnoticed: The Colony, a luxurious seaside community developed by the oil industry during the mid-20th century to house its international executive team that ran Aruba´s first refinery operations.

Montana Holdings, under the direction of Chairman John Mittens, has announced the official groundbreaking of Rum Cay Resort Marina, a $700 million mixed-use resort development project. This historic event took place at the future site of the Rum Cay Resort Marina on Rum Cay, Bahamas.

Three educational cruise seminars during THETRADESHOW (Travel Retailing and Destination Expo) will be conducted by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and Niche Cruise Marketing Alliance (NMCA) in Orlando, from September 10 to 12. The exclusive cruise learning seminars will be held on Sunday, Sept. 10 and are comprised of: “Cruising: Knowing the World you Sell” offered by CLIA, “Niche Cruise Specialist Certification Program” and “How to Tap into the Lucrative Niche Cruise Market –Panel” presented by NMCA.