The Cadw Explorer Pass allows free admission to historic properties in Wales operated by the Welsh government conservation organization Cadw (Plas Carew, Unit 5/7, Cefn Coed, Parc Nantgarw, Cardiff, CF15 7QQ, U.K.; phone 01443 33 6000, fax 6001, www.cadw.wales.gov.uk). These include the 14th-century Caernarfon Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Plas Mawr, a 16th-century Elizabethan townhouse.

The pass costs, for one person, £11.50 ($17) for three days or £18 ($26) for a...

As of Sept. 16, 2009, British-based Saga Holidays (Folke­stone, Kent, UK; phone +44 [0] 1303 771 111; www.saga.co.uk) will be a one-ship cruise line.

Saga had planned to acquire Club Cruises’ M/S Astoria, then refit it and name it Saga Pearl II in time to replace the Saga Rose, which will sail its final cruise Sept. 8-16. However, the sale encountered legal snarls and stalled when Club Cruises went into administration (the British equivalent of bankruptcy) in December 2008.

The...

A US Coast Guard “Maritime Security Directive” revised in May requires all US-flagged ships to submit antipiracy security plans (which will not be made public) and requires all ships that sail around the Horn of Africa to post guards.

There is a debate about whether to allow or encourage crews to carry arms as part of their security procedures. Some countries do not allow armed vessels to use their ports. Insurance costs and liability also are issues.