I'm a luggage handler - there's a seemingly innocent item you should NEVER pack
An airport baggage handler now revealed the one unusual item that you should definitely leave outside of your luggage.
John, a baggage handler who works at Dublin Airport, told RVSP Live: 'Don't ever pack marzipan in your luggage.'
A popular sweet treat, marzipan might seem like an innocent item to pack for a holiday.
But it could land you in hot water, warns John.
The baggage handler reveals: 'It has the same density as some explosives, so your bag will be removed and you'll be called from the plane for a bag search.
'If the bag can't be scanned automatically, it can end up in manual processing, which could mean your bag doesn't make it to the flight.'
Marzipan is extremely dense which means it can catch the attention of security staff under the scanners.
And there's another item that could cause an issue with your luggage.
John reveals: 'Ribbons that people tie onto their suitcases to help identify them can cause issues with the bag being scanned in the baggage hall.'
Meanwhile, a travel expert recently revealed how passengers can get their luggage to arrive first using a little-known free trick.
Hadleigh Diamond, commercial director at SCS Chauffeurs, says that asking airport staff to put a fragile sticker on your luggage could mean it gets taken off the plane first.
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Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Five things to know before you board a Uniworld Boutique River Cruises ship
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In 2004, Uniworld joined the Tollman-family owned The Travel Corporation (TTC) and launched new Super Ships, whose décor was inspired by its then sister company Red Carnation Hotel Collection. As the company grew, Uniworld expanded geographically and added the rivers of Egypt, Asia and South America to its portfolio in addition to adding zing to itineraries with mystery cruises, river and rail combinations, plus cruise-and-stay holidays. The line has even launched its own river equivalent of a world cruise. Uniworld was one of the first to offer family-friendly river voyages with its Generations family programme aimed at tempting younger guests onboard. The outfit also debuted a Make Travel Matter programme of sustainable shore experiences for guests as part of an overall eco-friendly strategy that also involved cutting food waste and eliminating single use plastics. In summer 2024, TTC and brands, including Uniworld and sister companies Trafalgar Tours and Insight Vacations, were sold to asset management firm Apollo. A few months later the line announced plans to expand its fleet further with three new Super Ships set to debut in 2027. 1. Where does Uniworld sail? It covers 17 rivers in 26 countries, though European heavyweights the Rhine and the Danube are the mainstay of Uniworld's programme, with classic sailings between Amsterdam and Basel that take in the castles of the spectacular Rhine Gorge along the former. On the Danube, Uniworld offers quintessential cruises between Budapest and Passau that feature the European capitals of Vienna and Bratislava, and sail beyond Budapest to follow the Danube's eastern stretch through Serbia and Bulgaria to Romanian capital Bucharest. Some sailings feature the Main and Moselle rivers, following routes between Belgrade and Nuremberg or Vienna. There are also voyages to the Dutch bulb fields and Christmas markets. In France, Uniworld cruises the Seine on round-trip voyages from Paris to Normandy, and the Rhone between Lyon and Arles and the wine-rich waterways around Bordeaux. Elsewhere in Portugal, voyages through port country are offered along the Douro. Uniworld is one of the few lines to offer sailings through the Venetian lagoon, visiting its lesser-known corners among the islands of Chioggia, Burano and Mazzorbo. In India, Ganges cruises are combined with the Golden Triangle tours or the Maharajas' Express train, while Nile cruises are twinned with stays in Cairo. Uniworld also cruises the Mekong through Vietnam and Cambodia – with sailings between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi – and in South America there are packages that combine the Peruvian Amazon with Machu Picchu. Themed cruises focus on golf, music, families and Jewish heritage, and there are women-only sailings too. There are also themed experiences on regular voyages with Village Days (whereby guests can meet locals); Let's Go, an active programme of pursuits including hiking, biking and kayaking; and Nights Out with evening entertainment ashore. Uniworld is increasingly adding tours and hotel stays to river cruises for its 'Spectacular Journeys' series and is twinning more cruises with trains for luxury rail-and-sail packages. Its Rivers of the World cruises generally last around 50 nights, and incorporate at least four rivers across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. 2. Who does Uniworld appeal to? Its upscale ambience appeals to a sophisticated and moneyed set of mainly Americans, followed by a growing number of British and Australian cruisers. Guests are generally retired (the average age of British guests is 65), well-travelled couples, but this mix changes on family-friendly Generations departures when the age range varies from four years upwards with a number of multi-generational family groups. The line is also increasingly popular with solo travellers. 3. The fleet This currently stands at 17 with the lion's share accounted for by Uniworld's Super Ships. These are described as floating boutique hotels but are arguably more reminiscent of pocket-size palaces owing to their grand chandeliers, elegant antiques, voluminous drapes and marble-swathed staircases. Super Ships Sails to: Europe and Egypt (SS Sphinx) SS Antoinette (152 passengers) SS Beatrice (148 passengers) SS Bon Voyage (124 passengers) SS Catherine (158 passengers) SS Elisabeth (110 passengers) SS Joie de Vivre (128 passengers) SS La Venezia (126 passengers) SS Maria Theresa (150 passengers) SS Sao Gabriel (98 passengers) SS Victoria (110 passengers) SS Sphinx (84 passengers) There are currently 11 Super Ships (with a 12 th, SS Emilie, due in 2026), representing what Uniworld terms as 'unsurpassed luxury.' Hallmark features include larger public areas, multiple dining venues and lavish décor that is inspired by the style of the destinations they sail through. Some Super Ships have ornate swimming pools; others have pocket-size spas or small cinemas. When it comes to show-stopping features, SS Antionette's reception is dominated by a stunning chandelier that used to hang in New York's famous Tavern on the Green restaurant, while the SS Maria Theresa is said to be the only ship on the rivers with hand-painted ceiling frescos. Rest of the fleet Sails to: Europe (River Duchess and River Princess); Egypt (River Tosca); Vietnam and Cambodia (Mekong Jewel); India (Ganges Voyager II); South America (Aria Amazon) River Duchess (130 passengers) River Princess (128 passengers) River Tosca (82 passengers) Mekong Jewel (68 passengers) Ganges Voyager II (56 passengers) Aria Amazon (32 passengers) These smaller ships in Uniworld's fleet are similarly luxurious and imaginatively decorated with the River Duchess and River Princess in particular having striking colour palettes. River Tosca and Mekong Jewel both have more of an exotic flavour, each with a sun-deck and swimming pool, while Ganges Voyager II and Aria Amazon are equally luxurious, reflecting the countries they sail through. All four are chartered by Uniworld. 4. Loyalty scheme Guests are automatically enrolled into the River Heritage Club after their first sailing where, following a welcome gift, they are eligible for special savings on all sailings and other perks that include an invitation to the captain's cocktail party, complimentary laundry and savings with TTC sister brands. 5. Access for guests with disabilities Some Uniworld ships have elevators and the line does its best to accommodate guests with varying medical and mobility needs. Passengers are asked to contact Uniworld on 0808 168 9231 to discuss their needs prior to booking. About our expert After finding her sea legs 20 years ago, Sarah has gone with the flow on around 200 voyages across the world's oceans and rivers, with Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands scoring as her all-time favourites.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Travel expert warns about bodily function that can set off airport scanners after passenger is stopped by TSA
No one enjoys being stopped by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) when they're trying to catch a flight, and it can be even worse when it's for a humiliating reason. A plane passenger recently sparked a debate about whether or not one particularly embarrassing bodily function can set off security scanners after they shared an awkward incident that occurred while they were at the airport via Reddit. The traveler explained that their 'crotch' area had been 'flagged' while they were going through the security scanner and that they had no idea why. And many users wondered if it was due to excessive sweating in their pants. 'I flew for the first time in 15 years this week and both airports flagged my crotch at the arms-up scanner,' the traveler explained in their now-viral Reddit post. 'I don't care about the pat down, they were polite and professional and it doesn't bother me, but I'm wondering what did it. 'I'm a midsize adult woman (169 pounds, five-foot-eight-inches) and was wearing bike shorts and normal underwear. 'I don't have any medical devices or piercings, but I do have a uterine fibroid. Nothing was in my pockets. 'Any thoughts on what could have set it off? I read that fibroids could possibly alert, and it was the exact same spot on my groin both times. More just curious than anything else, it made my wife and I laugh.' People quickly responded to the post and many theorized that crotch sweat was the reason the person was stopped. 'Could be: clothes (baggy, etc.), sweat, position (not on footprints, too wide or too narrow), zipper, too many layers, reflective stuff, ghosts, etc.,' one person wrote. 'Were you sweating?' someone else questioned. 'Sweat, feminine products (liners, pads, depends), could be anything but those seem to be culprits,' another added. A different user shared: 'Last time I flew out of my home airport of Tampa, I got searched too, the guard said something unnerving like "swamp rot" or "swamp crotch" or something similarly embarrassing.' Shawna Malvini Redden, a TSA expert, said sweat is one of those unique things that can indeed set off the scanner's alarm. 'Perspiration is probably the weirdest thing that can set off the scanners,' she previously detailed to Reader's Digest. 'It has to do with millimeter wave technology and how the waves bounce off water.' The expert also said that since the machines can often set off false alarms, countries such as France and Germany have banned them. It's more than just sweat that can have you stopped, in fact, there's a slew of body features that might set off the airport scanner. Thick hair, hair clips, piercings, wire in undergarments, and external tumors may also raise alarm. However, no need to worry. If something on your body sets off the scanner, normally, it will only require a quick pat-down and you'll be good to go. The scanners debuted after 9/11 and boasted that they were so efficient they could see the sweat on someone's back, according to ProPublica. Trained offers learned to recognize normal sweat patterns so they could detect a threat, Kip Hawley, TSA administrator from 2005 to 2009 said per the outlet. She said sweat actually helps officers detect a threat because if something had something glued or taped to the body it would change a person's natural sweat pattern.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Tom Brady takes steamy shower and shows off ripped physique on yacht in Ibiza amid Sydney Sweeney links
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