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☆ I got tired of big cruise ships so splashed out on a small, 140-passenger cruise. Here's why it was worth the money.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Rebecca Deurlein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I was happy to avoid the massive cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers disembarking at the same time and being frog-marched to the same attractions. The entertainment on board is very pared back and simpleYou won't get Broadway-style entertainment on a small ship. I was tired of cruise food, but the gourmet small-ship options changed my mindThe food on board was a close-second favorite. It's worth the price if you can entertain yourselfMy takeaway is, if you don't need 100 activities on board, small-ship cruising is for you. Small ships don't entertain you all day long — you find and make your entertainment.

Persons: Rebecca Deurlein, Deurlein, Caroline, I'd, Calvin Dsouza, James Beard, Mount Otemanu Organizations: Windstar Cruises Locations: Tahiti, Polynesian, Bora, Bora Bora

☆ ‘We’re paying twice for the same experience’: Plus-size travelers hit out at ‘discriminatory’ airline seat policies
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Policies around plus-size travelers tend to vary from airline to airline. However, the rule only applies to domestic flights, which means that plus-size travelers still need to buy an extra seat when going on an international flight. Constant challenges“The stereotypes that surround plus-size travelers, and the hostility towards us when we’re traveling by plane is honestly horrendous,” she adds. “This [shrinking seats] has had such a negative impact on plus-size travelers,” says Leanne. “The agency is reviewing the thousands of comments it received on whether current seat size and spacing affect passenger evacuation,” the FAA said in a statement.

Persons: Chaney, Jae'lynn Chaney, Jae’lynn Chaney, ” Chaney, Charles Leocha, ”, Juan Silva, couldn’t, hadn’t, we’re, Robert Alexander, Gabor Lukacs, ” Lukacs, “, she’s, isn’t, Kirsty Leanne, Leanne, Lukacs, “ I’m, Jake Organizations: CNN, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Federal Aviation Administration, CNN Travel, “, Travelers United, Australian Consumer Law, Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz, Canadian Transportation Agency, ”, ” United Airlines, American Airlines, Fort Worth International, Getty, World Obesity Federation, FAA, Flyers, Samoa Air, Polynesian Airlines, Air New Zealand Locations: Kona , Hawaii, Canada, ” United, Dallas, Samoa, New Zealand

☆ Hawaiian Airlines just launched its new route to a destination previously hard to reach for American tourists
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hawaiian Airlines launched its new nonstop route between Honolulu and the Cook Islands on Saturday. American tourists previously could stop in only New Zealand or Tahiti to get to the island. Hawaiian's new route is the only link between the Cook Islands and the US, allowing travelers to more easily reach the isolated nation. In August, the nation's home airline, Air Rarotonga, launched direct flights between Papeete in Tahiti and Rarotonga, reported local publication Enjoy Cook Islands. The service comes after Air Tahiti ended its route between the two nations in 2020 after 13 years.

☆ How Pacific Islanders in the US are keeping in touch with their culture through dance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“One, two, three,” Hernandez, founder of the Pacific Islander dance group Lei Pasifika, yells out. “It makes them less homesick.”According to the US Census Bureau, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders were the fastest growing ethnic population in the US from 2020 to 2021. And in big cities with a large Pacific Islander presence, like New York, Portland, Oregon, and San Diego, many US-born Pacific Islanders as well as transplants are keeping their culture alive through dance. It’s a way for Pacific Islanders, especially young people, “to find themselves” and get connected with their ethnic identity and cultures, she notes. Mann says they noticed a growing number of Pacific Islanders, including those who aren’t Native Pacific Islanders but grew up in the islands, wanting to learn more about the culture and participate in dances.

☆ Hawaiian Airlines unveiled the interior of its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and it includes a new business class suite. See inside.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Bianca Giacobone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Hawaiian Airlines' new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has 300 seats, including 34 business class suites. Hawaiian Airlines' new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners feature colorful patterns inspired by sea and wind, and starry skies. Hawaiian Airlines first agreed to purchase 10 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners in 2018, adding two more, for a total of 12, this past January. The planes, which will be used for medium to long-haul flights, have 300 seats, including 34 business-class suites and 266 main cabin seats, including 79 extra comfort seats. See inside Hawaiian Airlines' new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners:

☆ Exclusive: Biden to sign defence pact in Papua New Guinea, with eyes on China
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Washington is seeking to deter Pacific island nations, which span 40 million kilometres of ocean, from security ties with China, a rising concern amid tensions over Taiwan. Biden will visit PNG capital Port Moresby on May 22 on his way to a summit of the Quad countries - the United States, Japan, India and Australia - in Sydney, the White House has confirmed. There he will meet 18 Pacific island leaders. Biden's meeting in person with Pacific leaders is seen in the region as a major step in restoring trust. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was told by Pacific leaders in Fiji last year: "We have felt at times, to borrow an American term, like a flyover country.

☆ Best rice dishes: 20 delicious specialties from around the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

And while famous rice dishes such as sushi, fried rice and paella are among the most prominent in the global spotlight, there are so many more rice recipes out there to put on your radar – and seek out on your travels. Wali wa kukaanga, KenyaWali wa kukaanga is Kenya’s answer to fried rice, and translates to just that in Swahili. So it’s no surprise that the Polynesian island country’s most popular rice dish, alaisa fa’apopo, has ties to the coconut, too. Thai fried rice (Khao Pad), ThailandThai fried rice uses the layering of flavors that's characteristic of the country's cuisine. ArenaCreative/Adobe StockWhen it comes to fried rice, the Chinese version tends to steal the spotlight.

☆ 'Guac on The Rock:' Dwayne Johnson wants to pay for your chips and guacamole this Cinco de Mayo, but there's a catch
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

To be reimbursed, diners must order a Teremana cocktail from a local restaurant, and upload the receipt to the official site. Johnson's Teremana tequila is offering diners free "guac on The Rock" with the purchase of a cocktail using the brand's tequila as an ingredient. "Get ready for some free guacamole to pair with your delicious Teremana cocktail," Johnson and Teremana wrote on Instagram. Ordering a Teremana cocktail isn't the only term of the nationwide deal. In an Instagram announcement for the brand, Johnson wrote "TERA is meant to represent 'Terre' which means of the earth and MANA is our powerful Polynesian spirit that guides us."

Diverse hiring helps life insurance companies connect with underserved communities. Life insurance companies are focusing on community and product development. Many of the largest insurance companies have historically denied Black applicants, given them lower-value life insurance than white applicants who paid the same amount, and engaged in other discriminatory activity. Research from William G. Gale, a Brookings Institution economics expert and co-author of "Racial Discrimination in Life Insurance," found that while Black families were 3% more likely than their white counterparts to have a life insurance policy, the differences in inheritances (often including life insurance payouts) accounted for 10-20% of the wealth gap. Aside from eliminating blatantly discriminatory underwriting, Guardian Life has opened the door to life insurance for people with HIV.

☆ Hawaii surf contest The Eddie returns with women competing alongside men for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

And this year female surfers will be competing alongside the men for the first time in the 39-year history of The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational. But author Stuart Coleman says The Eddie is distinguished by how it honors Eddie Aikau, a legendary Native Hawaiian waterman, for his selflessness, courage and sacrifice. Coleman said The Eddie is about the best of big wave surfing and the best of Hawaiian culture. “To see women — not only women surfing Waimea but women and men sharing the same event together, with mutual respect and equality — I’m just really thrilled at the thought,” Pennybacker said. Kathleen Pahinui, the chairperson of the North Shore Neighborhood Board, said it will be good for businesses, restaurants and shops.

"The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Jen Shah has been ordered to participate in a mental health treatment program, as part of her probation, following her prison release. Jen Shah on "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Shah has said she suffered from depression and was on antidepressant medication during episodes of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City." It noted her work with a mental health organization that works within the Polynesian community. "Given her own background, Jen feels deeply empathetic toward anyone marginalized, fearing rejection, and struggling with mental health issues," the memorandum said.

☆ How 'Real Housewife' Jen Shah's fabulous life came crashing down
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Stephanie Clifford | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +43 min

The woman wrote to the judge overseeing Shah's case that she'd had to remortgage her house, almost divorced, and "thought about ending my own life." The couple decided that he should get his degree while Jen Shah dropped out of college to work. (Shah told a judge at her 2022 plea hearing that she had been treated for "alcohol and depression" two years prior. Koa Johnson, Jen Shah's former fashion designerWhen Sharrieff Shah did participate in filming, he quickly became a fan favorite, calm and sensible. Once the show aired and Jen Shah developed a fan base, her behavior became more dramatic, Johnson said.

☆ The iconic Wednesday Addams dance gets a cultural twist from Asian TikTok creators
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

"Wednesday," a comedy horror show and the latest “Addams Family” spinoff, was released on the streaming service last week. It follows daughter Wednesday Addams, played by Jenna Ortega, as she navigates Nevermore Academy, her psychic abilities and a murder mystery. The dance scene, which shows Wednesday ghoulishly grooving at Nevermore Academy’s annual Rave’N dance, has mesmerized thousands on the app. She was also dressed in all black with a Polynesian dancing belt called a hip hei and her hair in a braided crown. The Addams Family consists of mother and father Gomez and Morticia; children Pugsley and Wednesday; butler Lurch; and extended family members Uncle Fester and Grandmama.

In the early 2010s, Mr. Mellow set out for still more distant shores, traveling to many famous surf breaks in the South Pacific. Mr. Abdul-Rashed and Mr. Danian traveled to Hawaii to connect with Mr. Mellow, their spiritual guide and Pacific expedition leader. Mr. Mellow posted an ad on Facebook and Craigslist offering $10,000 for passage to the South Pacific. Mr. Schmidt was in sync with the young seekers when it came to fear of Big Brother and vaccines, but dreading port officials brandishing nasal swabs struck even Mr. Schmidt as a little unhinged. When asked if he was at all responsible for what had happened to Mr. Danian and Mr. Abdul-Rashed, Mr. Mellow looked genuinely confused.

☆ Tongan volcano eruption unleashed highest plume on record
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The deafening eruption sent tsunami waves across the Pacific Ocean and produced an atmospheric wave that traveled several times around the world. The plume extended through the bottom two layers of the atmosphere, the troposphere and stratosphere, and about 4 miles (7 km) into the mesosphere. The plume was far from reaching the next atmospheric layer, the thermosphere, which starts at about 53 miles (85 km) above Earth's surface. A delineation called the Karman line, about 62 miles (100 km) above Earth's surface, is generally considered the boundary with space. Scientists were unable to use their standard temperature-based technique of measuring a volcanic plume because January's eruption passed the maximum height for which this method could be used.

☆ 'Rings of Power' series reveals another underdiscussed aspect of representation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Polynesian scholars are pointing out “Lord of the Rings” productions have traditionally been filmed on their land, but with Pacific Islander actors relegated to the background. The new prequel on Amazon Prime did slightly better with representation, but experts stopped short of declaring it true progress. Na'puti pointed out that the Māori community experienced significant land loss, now holding just roughly 5% of all land there. McCartney also said that indigenous, Polynesian representation means incorporating the culture into the writing, given the Māori displacement in the country. And so if you’re on it, you have a responsibility.”Ultimately, Young questioned the necessity to continuously adapt the work of Tolkien, who wrote the “Lord of The Rings” series in the early 1900s.

Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, remained open Tuesday amid the approach of Hurricane Ian along Florida's western coast — though some surrounding Disney properties are set to temporarily close. Follow along for NBC News' live coverage of Hurricane IanAmong the other properties Disney says will be closed Wednesday through Friday:Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. According to Disney's hurricane policy, if the National Hurricane Center issues a hurricane warning for the Orlando area within seven days of a guest's scheduled arrival date, they may call in advance to reschedule or cancel Walt Disney Travel Company Disney resort hotel packages and most room-only reservations without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney. The policy does not apply if their stay was not booked through the Walt Disney Travel Company. Since opening in 1971, Disney World has only been forced to close eight times as a result of a hurricane, according to the unofficial Disney blog Inside the Magic.

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