Kevin Kain has vivid memories of the first and only cruise he's ever been on, rounding Cape Horn at the tip of South America.

Kain recalls jogging on the deck as the ship plied the notoriously wild southern seas, one minute running uphill at a 30-degree angle, the next running downhill at the same grade.

"This huge boat just being buffeted around. I liked it. But I'm not sure the average tourist did," says Kain, a doctor and director of the centre for travel and tropical medicine at Toronto's University Health Network.

While few stretches of water are as tempestuous as that off Terra del Fuego, even the more placid sailing of the Mediterranean can induce motion sickness for some.

And seasickness is only one of the ailments a cruise ship passenger can encounter. Respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal bugs and sprains are not uncommon.

But travel medicine experts say a little advance planning will go a long way toward ensuring a shipboard getaway is a safe, healthy and fun experience. That means packing seasickness patches, updating immunizations and buying good travel insurance, among other things.

nearly 45 percent higher than predicted.

The Georgia State Patrol reported 26 fatalities across the state over the 102-hour period that ended at midnight Sunday. Officials had estimated that 18 people would die during the period.

Included in the tally were four wrecks with multiple fatalities.

Three people died Saturday night in a single-vehicle crash on I-75 in Dooly County, the State Patrol said in a news release. According to the State Patrol, the driver lost control after a rear tire deflated and the vehicle overturned.

Also in South Georgia, two people were killed early Sunday in a one-car wreck in Tift County when the vehicle left the roadway and overturned, and two teenagers died in Worth County Friday afternoon when the 19-year-old driver lost control of a vehicle that left the road and struck a utility pole.

Online travel companies Orbitz Worldwide, Travelocity and Priceline.com Inc. said Monday they will make JetBlue Airways Corp. flights available to customers for travel bookings.

The distribution agreements are effective immediately, the companies said.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Orbitz said the airfares will be available for air-only retail bookings and customized travel packages. Travelocity said it will add JetBlue flights to its vacation packages soon.

Priceline said its agreement with JetBlue covers multiple years, although the company did not give a specific timeframe.

Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), organiser of Arabian Travel Market, the Middle East’s premier travel and tourism event, has introduced key changes to the 2008 show format in response to exhibitor feedback.

The four-day event, which celebrates its 15th showing - Crystal Anniversary - next year, will now be trade-only on the first three days when it runs at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) from May 6 – 9.

Arabian Travel Market 2008 will be open to general public on the last day and will feature many exciting competitions and promotions making it more even more attractive.

Show timings have been altered, with the event scheduled to open at 11.00 am and close at 7.00 pm on 6, 7 and 8 May 2008 in order to avoid peak Dubai traffic hours, as well as make it convenient for travel trade professionals to attend. On 9 May, the show will open at 4.00pm and close at 9.00pm.

“Working to ensure exhibitor and visitor satisfaction is of the utmost importance for us,” said Simon Press, Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market. “At the end of each event, we conduct extensive contact programmes to gauge feedback from industry players.

“Post-show research has revealed that Arabian Travel Market has received very high satisfaction levels from both exhibitors and visitors. Revised timings will allow trade professionals more time to conduct business and network with exhibitors as well as buyers.”

The event’s 2008 showing will see an improved floorplan with hotel, travel and technology companies being flanked by Europe on one side and the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East, on the other side followed by North Africa, Africa, the Americas and Asia.