What We’re Reading: One Easy Way to Travel for Free

Several stories had us shaking our heads disapprovingly at our computers this week, including a report on a billionare who is rebuilding the Titanic, and a story about Madonna’s museum controversy. Plus, discover some almost too-good-to-be-true tips on getting a free vacation this summer.

A Titanic Fail

According to a report on our sister site Cruise Critic, Australian billionaire Clive Palmer is rebuilding the Titanic. Plans have been made for a working copy of the ship—complete with first, second, and third classes—that will offer leisure cruises starting in 2016.

But wait. It gets more ridiculous. In a recent press conference, Palmer stirred the pot by revealing that he might ban pensioners and third-class passengers from using the onboard casino. Said Palmer, “I was just trying to say that we need to protect and respect people who have given a lot service to this country and make sure that we don’t act positively to impoverish them later—that’s all it boils down to. We have to have some social responsibility too.”

“We have to have some social responsibility,” said the man who is bringing back an ocean liner that sank and claimed more than a thousand lives.

One Easy Way to Travel for Free

Make like a dog and WWOOF. That stands for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, an organization that connects travelers with willing farmer hosts in destinations across the globe. In exchange for some volunteer work around the farm, farm owners provide travelers with accommodations in pastoral, bucolic settings and the chance to live the agrarian lifestyle for a while.

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Working on the vines by day and watching the sun set behind a vineyard with a glass of red in your hand isn’t a bad way to spend your summer. So you want to know more, right? Read The How-To’s of WWOOF’ing on Bootsnall for more wisdom about free farm travel.

Should Celebrities Have Exclusive Access to Museums?

If your knee-jerk answer is “no,” you won’t like this story from Budget Travel. According to the report, Madonna received a private after-hours visit at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. With her 15-person entourage, naturally.

Budget Travel compares Mag’s visit with Pierce Brosnan’s recent tour of the Musee D’Orsay in Paris. Brosnan toured the gallery by himself, with crowds of horrifying ordinary people around him. Perhaps his James Bond skills helped him fend off foaming-at-the-mouth fans while he contemplated impressionist masterpieces.

Museums—like libraries and other public buildings—are the domain of the people. Should celebrities get to take private tours of taxpayer-funded galleries just because they’re famous? Share your thoughts in the comments!

(Photo: Shutterstock/Patryk Kosmider)