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☆ A cruise expert that's been on over 300 ships shares his top tips and tricks for your next trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Cruise ships and their destinations are overflowing with travelers this summer. Cruise ships — and their destinations — are jam-packed with travelers this summer. Pick a cruise line that matches your personality and expectationsNot all cruise lines, or cruise ships for that matter, cater to the same kind of clientele. Buy travel insurance if you're going on an international cruiseChiron said he never travels internationally without purchasing trip insurance. Weigh the pros and cons of booking airfare through the cruise lineSome cruise lines have access to discounted flights and allow you to bundle your airfare with your cruise.

Persons: Guy, Stewart Chiron, Chiron, Don't, I've Locations: Mykonos, Santorini, It's, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, Rome

☆ Jeff Bezos has added a $68 million waterfront mansion on Florida's 'billionaire bunker' to his real-estate collection: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Jeff Bezos is now the owner of a $68 million mansion in Miami's Indian Creek Village, per Bloomberg. Celebrities like Ivanka Trump and Tom Brady have also bought property on the "billionaire bunker" island. Miami's Indian Creek Village is a separate municipality that has its own mayor and police force. An aerial view of Indian Creek Island. Representatives for Bezos, Indian Creek Village, and Indian Creek Property Owners Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, Ivanka Trump, Tom Brady, Bezos, Zillow, Insider's Hannah Towey, Chandan Khanna, Carl Icahn, Gisele Bündchen, Jared Kushner, He's Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Privacy, Getty, Bezos, Property, Association Locations: Wall, Silicon, Indian, Miami, Washington, New York City

☆ Domestic airlines are getting crushed because everyone wants to escape to Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Hannah Towey | Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

International travel demand is outpacing domestic demand as Americans flock to Europe in 2023. Our international wanderlust may be a worrying trend for domestic airlines — but it makes now the perfect time to buy flights for fall and winter vacations within the US. Low-cost carriers Spirit Airlines , Frontier Airlines , and JetBlue Airways had similar outlooks. Redburn analyst James Goodall said Monday that domestic airlines are likely to feel this pressure for not just months, but years, Barron's reported . Frontier AirlinesAs domestic airlines take a hit, consumers could reap the benefits with cheap fares and fall promotions designed to stimulate demand.

Persons: you've, Hopper, Sonia Bhagwan, they've, Barry Biffle, James Goodall, Barron's, Goodall, — Hopper, Bhagwan, she's, airfare Organizations: Carriers, JetBlue, Bank of America, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, —, Atlantic, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, CNBC, Airlines, Southwest, Bloomberg, nab Locations: Europe, Greece, heatwaves, Spain, Italy, Asia, COVID, United, Delta, Texas, Mexico, Caribbean, Paris

☆ Meet a 27-year-old concierge at the Four Seasons hotel catering to VIP guests paying up to $25,000 a night
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The queen ant in this metaphor is 27-year-old guest relations manager Jessica Waddy, whose job revolves around the hotel's high-profile guests and their countless needs. The cellar level of the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown. The Empire Suite at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown, with rates starting at $25,000 a night. Courtesy of the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown. The needs of high-profile guests are listed on a "rider," a document that's typically multiple pages long and attached to their hospitality contract.

Persons: Jessica Waddy, Waddy, There's, Hannah Towey, willy nilly, it's, Jason Jean, It's, Jessica, Carbone Organizations: Morning, Hotel, Monday, Vogue, Polo Bar Locations: New York, York Downtown, Staten Island, Queens

☆ UPS reaches deal with Teamsters union to avoid massive strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

UPS on Tuesday made a tentative agreement with the Teamsters union, avoiding a humongous strike. The union represents about 340,000 UPS package handlers and delivery drivers. UPS on Tuesday reached a tentative agreement with the Teamsters union, avoiding a massive strike by its roughly 340,000 unionized workers, which could have had broad economic effects. The tentative agreement sets a new minimum wage for part-time UPS workers of $21 an hour. Under the agreement, UPS will no longer schedule mandatory overtime shifts during Teamster drivers' days off.

Persons: Carol Tomé, We've, Sean O'Brien, Martin Luther King Jr Organizations: Teamsters, Morning, UPS, Workers

☆ Prepare to show your ID at TSA this summer, even if you're paying $189 to scan your eyeballs instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

All Clear members will have their identity verified by the TSA in the future, the agency says. For $189 a year, Clear members can cut airport security lines with "touchless" ID verification. Clear, a privately-owned security program available in most major airports, allows members to cut security lines with its "touchless" ID verification system. While it may seem like a minor change, increasing ID checks for Clear members could upend the company's already fragile competitive edge. Clear did not immediately respond to follow-up questions about when the new digital identity standards will roll out in airports.

Organizations: TSA, Washington Post, Clear, DHS, Technology

☆ United CEO says climate change is going to make massive delays more common
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Hannah Towey | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

United CEO Scott Kirby says climate change will cause even more flight delays in the future. The airline canceled thousands of flights in a six-day meltdown leading up to July 4 weekend. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby hasn't hesitated to point fingers when it comes to flight delays, from criticizing airport infrastructure to slamming the FAA for staffing shortages. Garth Thompson, a United pilot and union chair, similarly highlighted internal issues at the airline as a driving factor behind the flight delays in late June. "While Scott Kirby attempts to deflect blame on the FAA, weather and everything in between, further flight delays are a direct result of poor planning by United Airlines executives," Thompson told Insider at the time.

Persons: Scott Kirby, Kirby, Scott Kirby hasn't, Kirby —, —, United, United's, Pete Buttigieg, Garth Thompson, Thompson Organizations: United Airlines, Politico, Hurricanes, Independence, United, New, Transportation, FAA, CNN Locations: New York, Newark, New York City

☆ People are trashing a budget airline and saying it put them up in 'disgusting' cockroach-infested hotel rooms in Cyprus and Spain after their flights were canceled
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The UK-based budget airline canceled 1,700 flights between July and September, per Reuters. Disgruntled passengers stranded by a budget airline's flight cancellations are blasting the "disgusting" hotels the carrier put them in. Of the 90,000 flights scheduled for the rest of July and August, British budget airline EasyJet has canceled around 1,700 flights, predominantly from London's Gatwick airport, Reuters reported on Monday. Twitter user @angeldelight28 shared pictures of the hotel room she said EasyJet had put her up in after her flight to Liverpool was canceled, leaving her stranded in Larnaca, Cyprus. The pictures showed a barebones hotel room with unidentified stains over the patio and bathroom floors.

Persons: EasyJet, Clare, Zoe Wright, Mark Buntin, Insider's Hannah Towey, honeymoons Organizations: Morning, EasyJet, Reuters, Twitter, Liverpool, Daily, Sky News, Gatwick Locations: EasyJet, London's Gatwick, Larnaca, Cyprus, lanzarote, Bristol, Luton, Dalaman, Turkey, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Amsterdam's

☆ I commuted from LA to UC Berkeley by plane to avoid paying Bay Area rent. It cost me around $6,000 — and I didn't miss a single class.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Bill Zhou flew to UC Berkeley from Los Angeles three times a week for an academic year to avoid paying Bay Area rent. This is an as-told-to essay based on conversations with and Reddit posts written by Bill Zhou, a 26-year-old transportation engineer. Bay Area rent for a private bedroom and bathroom is super expensive, and I didn't feel justified in spending that much money. Courtesy of Bill Zhou / Photo by Heyang QiuI scheduled all my classes to fall on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Also, it was affordable only because I had so many flight miles.

Persons: Bill Zhou, I've, Heyang Qiu, Heyang Qiu I, they're, it's Organizations: UC Berkeley, University of California, Alaska Airlines, Valentine's, Los Angeles International Airport, LAX, TSA, BART, AC, San Francisco International Airport, California, Patrol Locations: Los Angeles, Hong Kong, London, Berkeley, LA, Bay, San Francisco, Oakland

☆ A cruise expert shares his top tips and tricks after sailing on 311 ships
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Persons: Guy, Stewart Chiron, Chiron, Don't, I've Locations: Mykonos, Santorini, It's, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, Rome

☆ These are the cruise ships with the best — and worst — sanitation scores so far this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

These are the cruise ships with the best and worst sanitation report cards in 2023 so far. There's nothing like a stomach virus to ruin your vacation, as hundreds of cruise ship passengers have unfortunately learned this year. "People often associate cruise ships with acute gastrointestinal illnesses such as norovirus, but acute gastrointestinal illness is relatively infrequent on cruise ships," the CDC explains on its website. In the past 10 years, only three other cruise ships have received sanitation scores below 70, CDC records show. These are the cruise ships with the highest and lowest sanitation scores so far this year:The 15 cruise ships with perfect scores of 100The majority of cruise ships have received CDC sanitation scores in the high nineties this year.

Persons: Gerard Bottino Organizations: CDC, Morning, Health, Vessel Sanitation, MSC, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean International Cruise, Seas Royal Caribbean, Cruise Lines, Inc, Sunshine, Disney, Disney Cruise, Cruise Management, Joy Norwegian Cruise, Pearl Norwegian Cruise, Riviera Oceania, Rotterdam Holland America, Silversea Cruises, Getty Locations: United States, Rotterdam

☆ 63 cruise ships owned by Carnival Corporation released more toxic sulfur gasses than all the cars in Europe, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Hannah Towey | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

63 cruise ships owned by Carnival Corp. emitted more sulfur oxides than all the cars in Europe in 2022. The cruise industry is investing in alternative energy sources such as LNG fuel and shore power. Though the IMO rule slashes the sulfur emissions of individual ships, it has done nothing to limit the increasing number of cruise ships in recent years. Compared to 2019, cruise ships are also spending more time at European ports and consuming more fuel, per the report. As a result, cruise ships overall emitted 9% more sulfur oxides in 2022 than in 2017, according to Transport & Environment.

Persons: MIGUEL MEDINA, Robert Rohde, — Dr, We're Organizations: Carnival Corp, European Federation for Transport, Environment, Carnival Corporation, International Maritime Organization, Transport & Environment, Cruise, Carnival Locations: Europe, Venice, AFP, Berkeley, Paris, New, York

Waits for renewals have increased from 11 weeks to 13 weeks. US passport renewal services are facing increased wait times this month as travelers gear up for Summer vacations. Processing times for routine passport renewals are now up to 13 weeks, with expedited services also increased to 7-9 weeks, according to the State Department website. Expedited passport renewal services are reserved for travelers whose departure dates are within less than 11 weeks away from the time of application and cost an additional $60. The agency has been slowly rolling out an online passport renewal option since August, with the latest application window closing earlier this month.

Persons: Waits, ” Antony Blinken, haven't, it's Organizations: State Department, Street, Passport Information

☆ 5 surprising travel deals you can get at Costco: From car rentals to African safaris
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Car rentalsJonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty ImagesCostco Travel offers members exclusive rates on car-rental brands including Alamo, Avis, Budget, and Enterprise. You can search by brand or find the best deal using the retailer's low price finder search tool, which allows you to narrow down search results by car type, number of passengers, and luggage amount. Costco's rental car program also features additional member perks like the ability to book an additional driver at select locations, "book now, pay at the counter" options, zero cancellation fees, and an annual 2% award for executive members.

Persons: Jonathan Wiggs Organizations: Boston Globe, Getty, Costco Travel, Alamo, Budget Locations: Avis

☆ Project Iliad: Amazon used a sneaky tactic to make it harder to quit Prime and cancellations dropped 14%, according to leaked data
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Hannah Towey | Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon intentionally made it harder to cancel Prime memberships with a project code-named "Iliad." The FTC sued Amazon on Wednesday, alleging the company made it more difficult for consumers to cancel Prime subscriptions. Amazon intentionally drew out the process of canceling a Prime membership under a project code-named "Iliad," according to internal documents obtained by Insider. "Customer transparency and trust are top priorities for us," Jamil Ghani, vice president of Amazon Prime, said in a statement. Starting February 18, Amazon's annual Prime membership fee increased from $119 to $139, and the monthly fees increased from $13 to $15.

Persons: Jamil Ghani, Hannah Towey Organizations: FTC, Amazon, Federal Trade Commission, Norwegian Consumer Council

☆ The 10 cheapest countries where you can buy citizenship or residency for as low as $19,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Thailand golden visa: Minimum application fee of $19,000 requiredTwin pagoda monastery built on top of the mountain in the North of Thailand during sunset. Guntaphat Pokasasipun/Getty ImagesThailand's "Elite Visa" membership program provides qualified foreign investors with a "Privilege Entry Visa" that is valid for up to 20 years. There are eight different program options, ranging from "elite flexible one" to "elite ultimate privilege," according to Thailand Privilege Card Co., the state-owned enterprise within Thailand's federal tourism agency that runs the program. The minimum payment required is an application fee of approximately $19,000.

Persons: Guntaphat Pokasasipun Locations: Thailand, North

☆ 6 things I wish I knew before my first flight on Spirit Airlines
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I flew with Spirit for the first time in December 2022 and learned everything you give up for cheap fares. Here are six things I wish I knew about the airline before my 3-hour flight from Miami to NYC. Morning Brew Insider recommends waking up with, a daily newsletter. But my first time flying Spirit Airlines in December 2022 challenged everything. From the lack of in-flight entertainment and outlets to $4 water, here are the six things I wish I knew before boarding a 3-hour flight from Miami to New Yor City:

Persons: I'm Organizations: Spirit, Morning, packer, Spirit Airlines Locations: Miami, NYC, New Yor City

☆ I swapped alcohol for 'Psychedelic Water' popular among sober-curious people online. I found it's the perfect drink to avoid social anxiety without a hangover.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"Psychedelic Water?" Despite the name, Psychedelic Water doesn't include LSD or psilocybin and definitely won't make you hallucinate. The main side effect I experienced while drinking Psychedelic Water was an occasional tingling sensation on my tongue and minor stomach pains. Psychedelic Water was one of the previously unheard-of brands that took off on social media during this time. Psychedelic Water is available in four flavors: hibiscus lime, blackberry yuzu, oolong orange blossom, and prickly pear.

Persons: —, seltzer, Robbie, Abby Wallace, Pankaj Gogia, Ben Rogul, Gogia, psychedelics Organizations: Service, Pacific Islanders, National Institutes of Health, Nielsen, Urban Outfitters

☆ Amtrak's new high-speed trains have been delayed again because the tracks they're supposed to run on are too old and busted
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The debut of Amtrak's new high-speed trains has been delayed for a third year in a row to 2024. It's due to complications passing federal safety checks on the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak said. The Amtrak tracks between Boston and Washington are notoriously run down. The trains' manufacturer, Alstom, says the culprit isn't the trains themselves, but rather the tracks they're supposed to run on. The Amtrak tracks between Boston and Washington, a high-traffic section known as the Northeast corridor, are notoriously rundown — with some tracks dating back 150 years.

Organizations: Amtrak, Morning, Alstom, Federal Railroad, FRA Locations: Boston, Washington, United States, Europe, Asia

☆ The FBI is investigating the fall of the Carnival cruise passenger who is missing after going overboard on his first cruise: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The FBI is investigating the fall of a Carnival cruise passenger who fell overboard on his first cruise, per Fox News Digital. 35-year-old Ronnie Lee Peale Jr. was returning to Virginia from the Bahamas at the time of the incident on Monday. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the fall of a Carnival cruise passenger who fell overboard on his first cruise, Fox News Digital reported on Wednesday. The passenger, 35-year-old Ronnie Lee Peale Jr., was on a Carnival cruise ship returning to Virginia from the Bahamas at the time of the incident. Peale Jr. "loved the cruise life," Blosser told WTKR.

Persons: Ronnie Lee Peale Jr, Peale, Insider's Natalie Musumeci, Hannah Towey, Michelle Blosser, WTKR, Peale's, Peale Jr, Blosser, Cruise Organizations: FBI, Fox News Digital, United States Coast Guard, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fox, US Coast Guard Locations: Virginia, Bahamas, Norfolk

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos are ripped, tech workers work less than 4 hours per day, and tech's Texas real-estate invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

OpenAI, the company that created the chatbot, won't share the books it used to train ChatGPT. But a group of researchers discovered a method of quizzing the chatbot to figure out which books it has read. Many tech workers are only productive for four hours per day. In an anonymous poll, nearly 45% of tech workers said they spent four hours (or less) on "focused work." Only around 25% said they worked eight or more hours per day.

Persons: I'm, Siu, Hannah Towey, Robyn Phelps, Moby Dick, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, Adam, Matthew Busch, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Zuck, Bezos, Peek, Austin Evans, Evans, Mercedes, Diamond Naga Siu, Alistair Barr, Nathan Rennolds Organizations: American, Pacific Islander Heritage, Ikea, The Washington, Getty, NASA, US Air Force, Pacific Command, Pentagon Locations: Sweden, California, Swedish, EVs, . Texas, scrawny, San Diego, San Francisco, London

☆ I moved from the US to Sweden after struggling with burnout. Now I have 6 weeks of paid vacation per year and rarely work overtime.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Now she rarely works overtime, gets six weeks of paid vacation a year, and got a free master's. In Sweden, if you work late, your boss might flag that your workload is too high, or that you're not capable enough to do your work within work hours. His company sponsored both of our residencies and work visas, so we had the ability to live and work in Sweden full time. I get six weeks of paid vacation every year and I use it allSweden's Annual Leave Act gives workers the legal right to take at least four weeks of consecutive paid vacation between the months of June and August. My company gives us six weeks of paid vacation per year, and I take all of it.

☆ A Carnival cruise passenger on a Bahamas vacation is missing after he leaned over his balcony and fell overboard, officials said
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A man is still missing after he went overboard on a Carnival cruise ship on Monday. The unidentified 35-year-old man was aboard the Carnival Magic cruise ship. A man went overboard on a Carnival cruise ship returning to Virginia from the Bahamas — and he remains missing after officials said he leaned over a balcony railing and plunged into the water. Under the 2010 Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, cruise ships must have 42-inch guard rails and man-overboard imaging or detection systems. Have a tip or story to share about man-overboard incidents on cruise ships?

☆ Family stands to lose nearly $6,000 in airfare and hotel costs after they were bumped from an overbooked cruise ship
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have overbooked multiple ships in recent months. One customer said she may lose nearly $6,000 after being bumped from an overbooked cruise. Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have seen a spate of overbooked ships in recent months, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. 68-year-old Diane Gainey, a frequent cruise-goer, could lose nearly $6,000 in airfare and hotel costs after Celebrity Cruises overbooked her September voyage from Japan. Courtesy of Diane FoleyA Celebrity Cruises spokesperson said the company continuously monitors their sailings to prevent disruptions to guests' travel plans.

☆ Meet the family letting an AI chatbot plan a 6-month trip around the world with their one-year-old daughter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Travel influencer Michael Motamedi is letting AI plan his family's six-month trip around the world. GuideGeek, an AI travel assistant, will decide which countries they visit. It's an experiment on how artificial intelligence could change how we travel, Motamedi told Insider. But on Wednesday, the family used an AI chatbot to decide on their next destination in under an hour: They were heading to Morocco. Motamedi and Salas tested the technology out in April while using the chatbot to plan a date night in Mexico City.

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