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☆ I celebrated my 40th birthday twice — first with family, then with friends. I'm so happy I kept them separate.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Emma Morrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the email. download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Still, though, I wanted to celebrate with friends and family. My family's trip to Namibia in 2019, booked with Namibia Tours and Safaris, cost $5,000, excluding flights. We found our restaurant tucked down a back street behind the Musée du Louvre, basking in the luminous evening light.

Persons: —, waterslides, Emma Morrell, Coeur Organizations: Service, Business, Namibia Tours, Tuileries Locations: Africa, Namibia, Paris, France, Saint, Germain, En, Laye, Lights, Montmartre, Jardin, Europe

☆ I went to Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas. It wasn't for me, but I can see why cruise-goers love it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Joey Hadden | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Royal Caribbean has a private island in the Bahamas called Perfect Day at CocoCay. The island gives cruise guests a combination of thrilling activities and relaxing beaches. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! AdvertisementPerfect Day at CocoCay is Royal Caribbean's 125-acre private island in the Bahamas. I went to CocoCay during my first cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas in May 2022.

Persons: —, overwater cabanas Organizations: Royal, Service Locations: Royal Caribbean, Bahamas, CocoCay

☆ Royal Caribbean's latest mega-ship has set sail with new restaurants and amenities that were missing from its predecessor
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Royal Caribbean's latest mega-ship is now operating short Caribbean itineraries. At 236,860 gross tons, Utopia of the Seas is now the world's second-largest cruise ship. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementStep aside, Icon of the Seas — there's a new giant cruise ship in Florida. Royal Caribbean's new 236,860-gross-ton Utopia of the Seas embarked on its maiden voyage on Friday, marking the launch of the world's second-largest cruise ship.

Persons: —, Michael Bayley Organizations: Service, Seas, Royal Caribbean International Locations: Caribbean, Florida, Port Canaveral , Florida

☆ I tried to spend as little as possible on Carnival's newest cruise ship. I recommend shelling out for better food and more fun.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Besides WiFi, I refused to front for Firenze's up-charged activities and services. Children had a water play area near the waterslides. Brittany Chang/Business InsiderI went on Carnival Firenze for work, which meant I had to cave on the ship's premium WiFi at $85 for all four nights. But over the last few years, cruise giants have added more irresistible pay-to-play amenities to their vessels, all while still luring travelers in with affordable base fares. On Norwegian's newer ships, for example, this means paying $10 for a round of mini-golf or $29 for an hour at the VR arcade.

Persons: Brittany Chang Organizations: WiFi, Firenze

☆ I went on 2 of Royal Caribbean's largest and newest cruise ships. I enjoyed them, but they're not for everyone.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

And if you're looking for high-end sailing to unique destinations, I'd suggest avoiding Royal Caribbean's mega-ships. Brittany Chang/Business InsiderAccording to its current expansion plan, by 2028, about a third of Royal Caribbean's fleet will consist of mega-ships. Wonder of the Seas (left) and Icon of the Seas (right) both have Sorrento's, a complimentary grab-and-go pizza shop. If you plan on cruising with your children — and if they, like me, love activities like rock climbing and mini-golfing — Royal Caribbean's mega-ships could be your best option. After all, like most of Royal Caribbean's largest vessels, both Icon and Wonder are exclusively sailing in the Caribbeans.

Persons: —, Brittany Chang, I've, Sharon Yattaw Organizations: Service, Oceania Cruises, Business, Royal, Regent Seven Locations: Royal Caribbean, CocoCay, Polynesia, Caribbean, Oceania

☆ Royal Caribbean's family-friendly private island is about to get more crowded with Gen Xers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewRoyal Caribbean's family-friendly private island is about to get a bit more crowded — with Gen Xers. Royal Caribbean's private island is a tropical dream for cruising families dotted with sprawling beaches, clubs, a zipline, and a waterpark. Royal Caribbean goes after multi-generational families, while Celebrity's target demographic is Gen Xers, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, the then-CEO of Celebrity Cruises, told Business Insider in 2021. Celebrity sails to 300 ports on all seven continents — why this sudden push for the private Caribbean island? Brittany Chang/Business InsiderBut for the two brands' parent company, there are more benefits to private island cruising besides guest satisfaction.

Persons: —, Gen Xers, Gen X, Brittany Chang, Xers, Lisa Lutoff, Michael Bayley, CocoCay, Patrick Scholes, Bayley Organizations: Service, Cruises, Royal, Business, Royal Caribbean Group, Apex, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Truist Securities, Coco Locations: CocoCay, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Royal Caribbean, that's, Royal, Caribbean, Brittany, cabanas

☆ 'Biggest, baddest ship on the planet': World's largest cruise ship stokes environmental concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, heads to the dock during its first arrival into PortMiami on Jan. 10, 2024. The world's largest cruise ship set sail from Miami, Florida over the weekend, embarking on a seven-day island-hopping trip through the tropics for its maiden commercial voyage. Onlookers gathered Saturday as Royal Caribbean International's behemoth — named the Icon of the Seas — left the Port of Miami to great fanfare. At a briefing earlier in the month, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty described the Icon of the Seas as the "biggest, baddest ship on the planet." The launch of the giant floating resort has sparked renewed concerns about the environmental impact of cruise tourism.

Persons: —, Jason Liberty Organizations: Port, Royal Caribbean Locations: PortMiami, Miami , Florida, Caribbean, Port of Miami

☆ Icon of the Seas: The world’s largest cruise ship sets sail on maiden voyage
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —There is nothing subtle about the world’s largest cruise ship. The commotion brought traffic to a halt along the causeway to Miami Beach that parallels the cruise ship channel. Icon of the Seas’ list of superlatives and firsts is longFinding time to fit in everything onboard Icon of the Seas promises to keep passengers busy. A Royal Caribbean spokesperson said Icon of the Seas is 24% more energy efficient than required for ships designed today. Royal Caribbean International is clearly pitching Icon of the Seas to a market that goes beyond cruising.

Persons: Lionel Messi, ”, Hurricane Hunter, Oz, Bryan Comer, Comer, Colleen McDaniel, McDaniels, ” McDaniels, Michael Verdure, Rob Clabbers, Q, ” Clabbers, Wagyu, Michael Bayley, ” Bayley, Jay Schneider, Royal, “, ‘, ’ ” Schneider, Terry Ward Organizations: CNN, Port, Hurricane, Storm, Royal, The International Council, Clean Transportation, Royal Caribbean International, Cruise, CNN Travel, Seas, Star, Royal Caribbean Locations: Port of Miami, Turku, Finland, Miami Beach, Argentine, Miami, Eastern Caribbean, Sedona , Arizona, Royal Caribbean, Florida’s Port Canaveral, Orlando, Chicago, Izumi, Caribbean, Vegas, Florida, Tampa

☆ I visited the biggest Great Wolf Lodge in the US, and my family's $335 a-night stay was totally worth it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Andrea Mchugh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Read previewIn November, my husband and I surprised our 9-year-old daughter and her 11-year-old cousin with a trip to the largest Great Wolf Lodge in the US. There are multiple Great Wolf Lodges in North America, but we visited the one in Perryville, Maryland, about an hour from Philadelphia. Great Wolf Lodge impressed me right off the batThe Great Wolf Lodge had a fairly simple booking process. The standard suite exceeded our expectationsGreat Wolf Lodge has double-queen rooms with simple decorations. Courtesy of the Great Wolf LodgeThis Great Wolf Lodge is the largest in the world at about 48 acres.

Persons: —, Wolf Lodge, Andrea McHugh, I'm, Coyote Cannon, careening, Andrea McHugh MagiQuest, There's, Andrea McHugh Great, Great Wolf Organizations: Service, Business, Lodges, cabanas, Timbers, Great Locations: North America, Perryville , Maryland, Philadelphia, Wolf Lodge Maryland

☆ Icon of the Seas: Why Americans Are Obsessed With Big Cruise Ships
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Henry Wismayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Love them or loathe them, giant cruise ships are among the most remarkable success stories of the mass tourism age. Rechristened the Mardi Gras, the first Carnival cruise ship sailed out of Miami that March. Cruise ships like the Icon of the Seas will spend the majority of their trip at sea. Eight years later, cruise ships such as the Diamond Princess became early incubators for COVID-19. Cruise Market Watch forecasts there will be 360 cruise ships in service at the end of this year, comprising less than 1% of the global commercial fleet.

Persons: Ted Arison, Arison, Pieter De Boer, Costa, Diamond, Aaron Saunders, We've, Sue Bryant, Z, sass, Emma Le Teace, YouTuber, David Foster Wallace, Harper's, Sarah Knorr, Bryan Comer, Karla Hart, Hart, Saunders, it's, Henry Wismayer Organizations: Port, Passengers, Mardi Gras, Mardi, Gras, Cruise, Royal Caribbean, Costa Concordia, Cruise Lines International Association, Broadway, CivicScience, Royal, Virgin, Business, Transport & Environment, Getty, International Council, Global Cruise, Global Cruise Activist Network, Cruise Market, Royal Caribbean International, New York Times, National Geographic, Financial Times Locations: Port of Miami, Caribbean, Miami, The Port, Tuscany, Italy, Royal Caribbean, TikTok, Panama, Bahamas, Brussels, Netherlands, Douarnenez, Venice, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Amsterdam, Juneau , Alaska, Skagway , Alaska, CocoCay, London

☆ I sailed on two Norwegian cruises — one that's $685 a night and one that's $130. Here's how I think they compare.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The cruise giant oversees three brands: mass-market Norwegian Cruise Line, premium Oceania Cruises , and ultra-luxury Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Norwegian Cruise Line's Prima — the traditional option with splashy, family-friendly amenitiesThe Norwegian Prima was the first of six Prima class vessels. Brittany Chang/Business InsiderIn October 2022, Norwegian Cruise Line invited me on the Norwegian Prima's non-revenue inaugural sailing. Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Grandeur — the ultra-luxury option with ultra-expensive faresThe Seven Seas Grandeur joined Regent's fleet in 2023. Norwegian Cruise Line and Regent Seven Seas Cruises couldn't be more the oppositeThere are no go-karts in sight on Regent Seven Seas' ships.

Persons: —, Prima, Brittany Chang, Viva's, Chartreuse, filet mignon, who've, Pablo Picasso, would've, What's Organizations: Service, Cruise Line Holdings, Business, Cruise, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Norwegian Cruise, Cruise Line, Norwegian, Starbucks, Norwegian Prima, Regent Seven Locations: Norwegian, Brittany, New York City

☆ I went on Norwegian's newest luxury and ultra-luxury ships targeting wealthy travelers — see how a $685 per night cruise compares to a $210 per night one
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

AdvertisementWhen you think of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, you probably think of its giant amusement park-like cruise ships with 10-story-tall slides, go-kart tracks, and many families. Its newest Oceania Vista ship, which debuted in May 2023, is at the higher end of the range with a 1,200-guest capacity. Regent Seven Seas Cruises — the true ultra-luxury optionThe Seven Seas Grandeur's pool was surrounded by several hot tubs. And both vessels — built without loud water slides or arcades — exude a feeling of peace and quiet not often experienced throughout larger family-friendly cruise ships . Brittany Chang/Business InsiderNCLH's mass-market eponymous brand still has more ships in its fleet than Regent Seven Seas and Oceania combined.

Persons: —, NCLH, Brittany Chang, Hermes Birkin, Bulgari, Jacques Pépin, isn't, — they're, I've, Pablo Picasso, Mark Kempa Organizations: Cruise Line Holdings, Regent Seven Seas, Regent Seven, Service, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Norwegian Cruise, Mexico itineraries, Business, Oceania, Culinary Arts, Regent Locations: Oceania, Norwegian, Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Mexico, Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, New York City, Oceania Vista, Brittany, French, France, Nicaragua, Regent Seven Seas

☆ Scoring Taylor Swift Tickets and setting up elephant processions: Private bankers dish on the ways they pamper ultra-rich clients
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The ultra-rich can afford nearly anything, but that doesn't guarantee access, especially for sold-out games or limited-edition luxury items. Many clients are willing to pay top dollar for coveted Taylor Swift tickets but can't find them, and they have asked their advisors for help tracking them down. Many financial institutions prefer white-labeling, repackaging the services with the banks' branding, Gaby Stanley of Ten Lifestyle Group told Insider. The UK-based concierge clients include Coutts, HSBC, and Merrill Lynch. Private-bank advisors help each other out, according to Yates, who has hooked up out-of-state advisors' clients with Miami Heat tickets when they visit Florida.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Morgan Stanley's Valerie Wong Fountain, Morgan Stanley, Valerie Wong Fountain, Grace Yoon, Rockefeller, Yoon, Gaby Stanley, Coutts, Merrill Lynch, it's, Stanley, Paul Yates, Yates Organizations: Advisors, Business, Rockefeller Capital Management, Ten Lifestyle Group, HSBC, Michelin, Bank, Miami Super Bowl, Private, Miami Heat, Bank of America Locations: London, Japan, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

☆ 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

☆ DeSantis’s Miscalculation: ‘Disney Is Playing the Long Game’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | Robbie Whelan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested it would be a short fight when he first threatened to strip Walt Disney Co. of the power to govern its magic kingdom of theme parks, waterslides and hotels around Orlando. A year later, Mr. DeSantis is enmeshed in a drawn-out conflict with the entertainment giant that has shifted from the political realm into the courts, with no end in sight.

☆ Hate Crowded Cruises? 6 Small-Ship Getaways to Book Instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Eleanor Mcgrath | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

CUTTING EDGE On its route to the North Pole, Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot, a hybrid-electric polar exploration vessel, glides slowly through the ice so passengers can view arctic foxes, whales and walruses. Popular megaships with over 6,000 passengers—and extras like an ice-skating rink, IMAX, crazy waterslides and Broadway-scale theaters—welcome the budget-conscious. “Smaller expeditions are up 43% over 2019,” reported Misty Belles, vice president of global public relations for Virtuoso, a network of 20,000 travel advisers. Sleek vessels now break through Arctic ice floes to access the North Pole, and river cruises let the curious visit multiple towns without enduring turbulent seas. Here, a few examples of what small ship cruises can offer.

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