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☆ A new residential cruise ship plans to sail around the world every 2½ years. Cabins start at $11 million.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Ulyssia ResidencesUlyssia doesn't have a ship yet, and the vessel acquisition process has become an infamously difficult challenge for similar startups. Residential cruise companies can either build a new ship (as Ulyssia plans to) or refurbish an older used vessel. Life at Sea Cruises intended to purchase a used vessel for its three-year sailing. Villa Vie successfully purchased a more-than-30-year-old vessel for its never-ending cruise, which could set sail in the coming days. However, its launch has already been delayed four months amid issues like the ship's aging rudder stocks and certifications.

Persons: Ulyssia, Meyer Werft, they'd, Villa Vie Organizations: Sea Cruises

Annual fee Insider’s Take The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is worth considering if you fly Southwest, even occasionally. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card OverviewThe Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is the middle child of Chase's three Southwest consumer credit cards. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card vs. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit CardThe Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is the "baby" card of the Southwest family. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card vs. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit CardThe Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is Southwest's top-tier consumer credit card, and the option you should consider instead of the Southwest Premier if you frequently fly on this airline. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has an "older sibling" — the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card.

Persons: HBO Max, you'll, You'll, cardholders, Jasmin Baron, Read, Angela Fung Organizations: Business, Rewards, Card, Rapid, Southwest Premier, Southwest ®, Southwest, Southwest Premier cardholders, Apple, Disney, ESPN, HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Paramount, Showtime, Spotify, YouTube, Southwest Premier Southwest, Central America, Rapid Rewards, Chase, Sapphire, Southwest Airlines, cardholders, TSA, Southwest Premier Chase, Finance Locations: Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean, Central, Southwest airfare, Southwest, U.S, Chevron, Canada

☆ I tried to retire twice, once at 40 and again at 62. But I like working with people too much.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Gary Nunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Twice in my life, I've attempted to retire, and both times, I've been tempted back into full-time work. Both my husband and I had done very well in our jobs, so I was fortunate enough to be able to retire early. By the age of 40, I'd worked my way to the top as a financial planner. AdvertisementDuring my second attempt at retirement, I realized how much I loved working with clientsThen, I really lost my mojo for work. While this adventure was exhilarating, I ultimately realized I missed being at home near loved ones and, most of all, working with clients.

Persons: —, Chris Childs, I've, I'd, We'd, wasn't, I'm, David, He'd Organizations: Service, Business, mojo Locations: Australia, Italy, France, England

☆ Royal Caribbean's next mega cruise ship is setting sail next year. Here's what we know about the $230-a-night vessel.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Royal Caribbean says its next Icon class ship, Star of the Seas, will set sail in August 2025. The first vessel in its class, Icon of the Seas, debuted in early 2024 to massive success. Star of the Seas would be as large as its predecessor and have amenities like a six-slide waterpark. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! The popular cruise line says its second Icon class mega-ship, Star of the Seas, will debut with seven-night Caribbean cruises from Florida's Port Canaveral beginning August 2025.

Persons: — Organizations: Royal, Service, Florida's Port Canaveral, Fares, Business Locations: Royal Caribbean, Florida's Port

☆ Inside the island fortress of America's mega-billionaires
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( Guthrie Scrimgeour | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

An Israeli-designed radar system encircling the island can detect passersby, in low visibility, from half a mile away. Often described as "butlers with badges," the Indian Creek police force is unlike most of its counterparts. The Indian Creek radar can detect objects on the water and use artificial intelligence to classify them according to the risk they pose. With the new security system, the Indian Creek police appear to have turbocharged their enforcement of regulations in the surrounding waters. Properties in the neighborhood are also being bought up by opaquely named LLCs tied to Indian Creek residents.

Persons: —, I've, I'm, — they're, Norman Braman's, Tom Brady, Carl Icahn, Jeff Bezos, we've, Tiffany, William Henry Hoover, Frank Woolworth, Saratta, Gerardo Vildostegui, Vildostegui, it's, Irma Braman, Bernard Klepach —, Mike Bullman, Chandan Khanna, Justin Ross, who's, Ross, Gail Golden, Javier Holtz, Marko Gojanovic, Gojanovic, he's, Dina Goldentayer, Don Shula, opaquely, LLCs, Julio Iglesias, Surfside, Tim Will, Will, America's, Elon Musk, you'd, there's, Brian Daniel, Low, John Bernardo, Klepach, Guthrie Organizations: Public Space Research, City University of New, Indian, Jewish, Indian Creek Country, Security Solutions, Police, Getty, Biscayne, Indian Creek Police, Marquis Bank, Miami Dolphins, BI, CUNY Locations: Indian, Biscayne Bay, America, Miami, Qatar, Israeli, City University of New York, Florida, Surfside, Surfside's, York City, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, India, stoke, Washington , DC

☆ My sister and I went on a cruise in the Arctic Circle. With 24 hours of daylight, we had to 'create' nighttime in our rooms.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( Gail Abrams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

My sister and I went on a two-week expedition cruise in the Arctic Circle. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! AdvertisementIn June 2024, I embarked on an extraordinary two-week expedition cruise throughout the Svalbard Archipelago in the Arctic Circle on the beautiful Sylvia Earle. My companion was my sister, Diane Ross, a travel advisor who specializes in river, ocean, and expedition cruises. We have both taken many cruises but this was our first expedition cruise.

Persons: —, Sylvia Earle, It's, Diane Ross Organizations: Service Locations: Svalbard, Aurora

☆ I thought I absolutely hated cruises — but then I went on one of the largest ships in the world
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Esther Carlstone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewIf you'd asked me just a year ago what I thought of cruises, my answer would have been a resounding "meh." One highlight was the high-flying acrobatics show that I still can't believe happened on a cruise ship. The kids' club was a massive perk, tooAs befitting the grand scale of this ship, Wonder of the Seas' kids' club was far more than just a themed room with a babysitter. My little one loved the kids' club so much that she begged for more time there whenever we went to pick her up. I'm a fan of cruises now — and I think the bigger the ship, the betterI loved how many activities the cruise ship had to offer.

Persons: —, you'd, we'd, Brittany Chang, Taylor Swift, I'd Organizations: Service, Business, Royal Locations: Brittany, Royal Caribbean

☆ Influencer couple denies leaving kids alone on cruise
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —For most people, dinner on a cruise ship is a time to relax. The couple thanked their family for helping to watch the children during the cruise, and also thanked the public. Cruise ship childcareMany cruise lines offer childcare options. “It is generally not safe for a child under eight to be left alone at home, and a cruise ship cabin is no different,” he said. There are just too many unexpected things that could happen when children are left alone in a cruise cabin or hotel room.”

Persons: Abby, Matt Howard, Abby Howard, ”, muchhhh, Howard, Abby’s, “, “ We’re, It’s, Matt Thiemann, Thiemann Organizations: CNN, ” CNN, Howards, Royal Caribbean’s, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, tots, Holland America Locations: Arizona, Holland

We have also focused on using our favorite strategy to save on travel — using travel rewards credit card points to get some of it for free. While we mostly rely on airline miles to save money on travel, we also use flexible rewards points and hotel points for some aspects of our plans. My husband's birthday trip to MemphisI was able to book my husband a surprise weekend getaway for his 45th birthday this year using credit card rewards. Still, using rewards to take the sting out of what would otherwise be an expensive trip feels like a win when it makes sense. My whole travel plan also underscores something I have believed about the world of travel rewards for a long time.

Persons: Billy Strings, Rewards, Miles, Billy Organizations: Service, Delta Reserve American, Chase, Hyatt, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt Credit Locations: Memphis, Memphis , Tennessee, Delta, Caribbean, Indianapolis, Delta Comfort, FedExForum

☆ I took my 8-month-old on a cruise. I was surprised at how baby-friendly it was, and I'm ready to go on one again.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-15 | by ( Marissa Willman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Although I'd been a longtime cruise naysayer, I decided to take a chance last month and solo travel with my then 8-month-old daughter on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Cruise ships offer flexibility to adapt to a baby's mood easilyOn a cruise ship, there are dozens of options for dining, entertainment, and activities right outside your door, making it an incredibly flexible vacation option. This flexibility was especially handy for a mom traveling solo. After we settled into our cabin, the traveling came to us — and as a solo mom, I can't imagine an easier way to travel with an infant.

Persons: —, I'd, cuddles Organizations: Service, Business, Royal Locations: Royal Caribbean, Bahamas

☆ Travel news: Hotels reveal their wildest room service orders
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —In travel news this week: odd room service requests, the cruise passengers stranded for months at their departure port, plus how a rogue bag of Cheetos caused havoc in a New Mexico cave. Unusual guest requestsFar be it from us to say folks are getting a little entitled, but a new report from Hotels.com has revealed the oddest room service requests made to its hotel partners around the world. There’s the separate requests that were fielded for burnt toast, fresh goat milk and 2 kilos of bananas. And finally there’s the demand for a high-five from a team member to ensure their room service request was read. The nine-month itinerary of Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise was considerably less ambitious, but at least it successfully completed its journey this week.

Persons: Hotels.com, it’s, there’s, –, CNN Anne Marie Hagerty Organizations: CNN, Service, Atlanta, Delta Airbus Locations: New Mexico, York, Carlsbad, Hawaii, Oahu, Georgia, England, Argentina, British, Italy, “

☆ The stock market risks keeping Wall Street's biggest bulls up at night
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The bulls on Wall Street have been largely right about the stock market over the past two years. Business Insider asked three bullish stock strategists what they consider the biggest risks. Yet, those economists have been largely wrong about what could sink the stock market and economy. "In May/June, when you had a lot of bears or those that had been late to jump on the bull parade all of a sudden switch their forecasts and kind of chase markets up, which is pretty, I mean pretty, pretty, pretty classic," Belski told Business Insider. The second risk is, similar to Belski's concern, a 1990's type melt-up in the stock market.

Persons: —, Brian Belski, Belski, Yardeni Research's Eric Wallerstein Eric Wallerstein, Wallerstein, that's, Carson, Sonu Varghese Sonu Varghese, Varghese Organizations: Business, Service, BMO, Nvidia, Yardeni Research, Carson Group, Federal Locations: Russia, Ukraine, China, Taiwan

☆ I was 10 weeks pregnant and went on a world cruise. Here's why I'd recommend it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kim Budlong, a 40-year-old resident of Lancaster, South Carolina, who went on a world cruise while 10 weeks pregnant. Last year, around the end of March, my husband and I began to make plans to go on the Royal Caribbean Ultimate World Cruise, which has a segment that journeys to the Americas and Antarctica. The Americas segment of the Ultimate World Cruise is 64 nights, but cruises generally have a policy that bars passengers about 23 weeks pregnant or approaching the third trimester. By the time the cruise started, I'd be 10 weeks pregnant. AdvertisementBut, in the end, I would say that going on a cruise while pregnant has my stamp of approval.

Persons: —, Kim Budlong, I'd, There's, there's, you've, would've Organizations: Service, Royal, Business Locations: Lancaster , South Carolina, Americas, Antarctica, Miami, Caribbean, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, England

☆ An around-the-world cruise that's stuck at port is kicking off passengers who complain
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Unfortunately, she was kicked out before she could fulfill her world cruise aspirations. "They didn't just complain, they outright threatened with media unless they get what they want," Mikael Petterson, the founder and CEO of Villa Vie, told BI in an email. "That's how much I had wanted a world cruise." But she was kicked off before Villa Vie Odyssey could set sailOther buyers have begun moving onto the residential cruise ship. So far, Villa Vie has repaid her almost $8,000, with another about $7,400 still pending — still a few thousand short of her $18,600.

Persons: —, Jenny Phenix, — Phenix, Bonny Kelter, Mikael Petterson, Vie, Kelter, Villa Vie, Bonny, Petterson, Phenix, Villa, she's, aren't, Fred Olsen Cruise, Fred Olsen's, Angela, Stephen Theriac, Kathy Villalba, Stephen Theriac Petterson, hasn't Organizations: Service, Business, Residences, Sea Cruises, Villa Vie, Villa, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise, Security Locations: Europe, Asia, Australia, South, North America, Africa, Palm Beach , Florida, Braemar, Norwegian, Florida

☆ A hotel is offering ‘self-love pods’ for solo play. Here’s why that’s a thing
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In Europe, the trend is even stronger, with around 46% of Danish households inhabited by men and women flying solo. To mark Sexual Health Awareness Month this September, New York’s Walker Hotel Tribeca has introduced a “Self-Love Pod” offer, aimed at the recently single. When it comes to romantic partners, there’s no cheaper date than your own five digits, but rates for Walker Tribeca’s Self-Love Pods start at $350 – and that’s before you even buy yourself dinner. That’s quite a lot to shoot for, but it’s definitely one of the most fun ways to reduce cancer risk. If getting the peace and quiet to be oneself means booking a “Self-Love Pod” in Tribeca, then have at it, ladies.

Persons: “, onanism, Cacit Welness, Maude, Walker, Walker Tribeca’s, ”, Virginia Woolf Organizations: CNN, Walker Tribeca, British Medical, University College London Locations: Europe, New, Manhattan, Flatiron, midlife, Tribeca

☆ The viral nine-month cruise is ending. Here’s what it was really like on board
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

Preparing for the endJoe and Audrey Martucci say they are grateful for the nine-month cruise experience, but at times they found the schedule tiring. A trip of a lifetimeGen Z traveler Little Rat Brain says Antarctica, pictured here, was her world cruise highlight. Little Rat Brain, passenger on board the nine-month cruiseThe TikTok-famous passengers are now considering how to pivot their online presences. “I don’t think anything’s ever going to have the virality of the nine-month cruise,” Fletcher says. “I’m not really sure if it will ever occur again,” agrees Little Rat Brain.

Persons: Royal, –, Angie Linderman, Linderman, Ale Kenney, Shannon Marie Lake, Anthony McWilliams –, Joe, Audrey Martucci, Joe Martucci, Bobbi Waterman, Tam, Julian Mendoza, Daniele Salvatore Arbisi, “, they’re, ”, Beth Anne Fletcher, ’ Fletcher wasn’t, you’re, ” Fletcher, Joe Martucci didn’t, TikTok, ” Oosthuizen, … ” LRB, itineraries, LRB, there’s, someone’s, Anthony McWilliams, Amike, Oosthuizen, Drake, ’ ”, McWilliams, y’all, Anthony Antoine McWilliams Fletcher, Fletcher, “ Beth Anne’s, Audrey, Shannon Lake, ” McWilliams, “ We’re, it’s, “ Truman, Brandee, aunties, It’s, ’, can’t, “ I’m, influencer Marc Sebastian, Sebastian, they’ve, ” LRB, ” Linderman, haven’t, There’s, Princess Cruises –, she’s, “ Everything’s Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Royal, NASA, Seas, New York City, MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises, Vie Locations: Royal Caribbean, Miami, Shannon, American, British, South Africa, Halifax, Canada, Southampton, “, California, China, New York, LA, Antarctica, India, Portofino, Italy, Iguazu, ”, Caribbean, Belfast , Northern Ireland

☆ How to pick the best cruises to see the northern lights, eclipses, and galaxies, according to an astrophysicist
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

He's seen some spectacular sights on cruises, including the northern lights and other galaxies. Here are Oluseyi's tips for the best stargazing on cruise lines, including seeing eclipses, galaxies, the northern lights, and meteor showers on your next cruise. "The most amazing one was a trip to Norway on a cruise called Chasing the Northern Lights," he said. The northern lights are visible most often in northern latitudes including Canada, Alaska, and northern Scandinavia. The fall and spring equinoxes are the best time for viewing the northern lights, NOAA notes.

Persons: —, Hakeem M, Oluseyi, Paul Grigsby, Holland, I'm, GOH CHAI HIN, Grigsby, Igor Chekalin, readjust Organizations: Service, Princess Cruises, Discovery, Business, Viking Cruises, NASA, Holland, Southern, Northern, Hemisphere, BBC Locations: stargaze, Norway, Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, Islands, Chile, Greenland, Seattle, London, Iceland, Spain, Russia, Portugal, Holland America, Southern Hemisphere, Royal Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, South America

☆ They were due to leave for their dream cruise in May. Three months on they’re still stuck at the departure port
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-07 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —It was the years-long cruise that was supposed to set sail, but saw its departure postponed… postponed… and postponed again. However, there’s one crucial difference between Life at Sea and Villa Vie Residences, the company attempting the 3.5-year cruise: Villa Vie has a ship. This meant the certifications had expired – and instead of simply renewing them, Villa Vie was obliged to start from scratch. Olsen cruise ship. ‘Not what we were expecting’Angela and Steve Theriac have been traveling around Europe while waiting to set sail.

Persons: …, “, ”, Lanette Canen, Johan Bodin, Bodin, “ We’re, we’ve, “ It’s, We’ve, Peter Morrison, Villa, Mike Petterson, Petterson, –, Fred, Olsen, Villa Vie, “ Fred, DNV, Samantha Stimpson, ‘ We’ve, ’, Maureen O'Hare, Fran Paroissien, she’s, Paroissien, I’ve, we’d, he’d, ” Micky Murray, “ They’re, I’m, Bonny Kelter, ” Kelter, “ We’ll, ’ Angela, Steve Theriac, Angela, it’s, “ We’ve, that’s, We’re, They’ve Organizations: CNN, Sea Cruises, Residences, Olsen Cruises, Hawaii –, Canen, Edinburgh, Sweden –, Villa Vie, Survey, Braemar, Olsen Cruise Lines, Villa, Vie, ‘, Midlife, Liverpool Locations: Belfast, Northern Ireland, Braemar, Fred, Hawaii, Stirling, Scotland, Glasgow, Europe, Sweden, –, Melbourne, Australia, Canary, Seychelles, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Spain, Denmark, Dublin, Nicaragua

☆ This couple went on one cruise together. Now, they're moving onto a never-ending residential cruise ship.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementThat is, until this spring, when Canen and Bodin, both 54, uprooted their lives in Maui, Hawaii, to move onto a new residential cruise ship called Villa Vie Odyssey. AdvertisementThe couple sold their business in MauiBodin told BI that before Villa Vie, the couple had never really considered leaving Maui. "We went pretty much every day for two weeks and spent all day there until they kicked us off," Canen told BI. AdvertisementBefore committing to Odyssey, Canen and Bodin looked into Storylines, which plans to construct its own residential cruise ship, MV Narrative. AdvertisementAre you sailing on a residential cruise ship like Villa Vie or have a tip?

Persons: —, Lanette Canen, Johan Bodin, Canen, Bodin —, we'd, Bodin, Mikael Petterson, Fred Olsen Cruise, Lanette, Villa Vie's, Villa, Maui Bodin, they've, Petterson, Villa Vie, We're, Angela, Stephen Theriac Canen, they'd, Kendra Holmes, they're Organizations: Service, Business, Villa, Residences, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, South Pacific, YouTube, Sea Cruises, Cruises, Victoria Cruises Locations: Maui, Hawaii, Europe, Asia, Australia, South, North America, Africa, Belfast, Ireland, Braemar, Maui —, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Sweden, Canary, Norwegian, Villa Vie, Canen, Petterson

☆ 2 reasons why Disney's stock is worth buying despite a theme-park slowdown
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

In fiscal 2022 and 2023 combined, Disney's experiences unit, which houses the parks, generated 67.5% of the company's operating income. That represents a significant deceleration in growth from its first and second quarters, when operating income rose 8% and 12%, respectively. Nispel argued that negative sentiment around Disney's theme parks performance could be a reason to have less conviction on the stock in the near term. The more excitement around its movies, the more interest in everything from theme parks to streaming services to branded merchandise. Operating income, in particular, rose more than $350 million year over year to $254 million.

Persons: that's, Disney, we're, Jim Cramer, Jeff Marks, amortization —, Brandon Nispel, Nispel, Bob Iger, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Jim, Romulus, King, KeyBanc's Nispel, Jim Cramer's, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Gary Hershorn Organizations: Disney, Magic, Club, Magic Kingdom, DIS, Comcast, CNBC, KeyBanc, Universal, Americas, —, Hulu, ESPN, Walt Disney World, Corbis, Getty Locations: California, Florida, Magic, Orlando , Florida, Orlando, Animal Kingdom

The World, a luxury liner, has many descriptions, but "cruise ship" is not one of them, said resident Jim Minarik. "The only thing that's similar between the world and a cruise ship is they float on the water," he said. Minarik and his wife bought their apartment in 2020 with plans to spend one to two months a year on the ship. Source: The WorldYet money is not a big topic aboard The World, Minarik said. Wong said that while other companies have tried, The World is still the only ship of its kind.

Persons: Jim Minarik, we're, Minarik, Eddie Wong, Wong, There's, I'd Organizations: CNBC, CNBC Travel Locations: Singapore, Antarctica, French Polynesia, Easter, Amalfi Coast, Australia's Kimberley, Papua New Guinea, Solomon, South America, South Africa, Cape Town, Orange County , California, Africa's, Penola Strait

☆ Travel isn’t dead. It’s just taking a vacation
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-19 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —CEOs of many of the biggest US hotel and travel companies are coming off a bit like doomsayers these days with their warnings about the declining health of consumers and their waning appetite for travel. Gary Hershorn/Getty ImagesMuch of the revenue growth that travel companies reported in recent years resulted from inflation, said David Tinsley, a senior economist at Bank of America Institute. “It was always going to be tough to expect travel spending to be showing the kind of momentum it showed 12 months ago,” he told CNN. “I don’t think the current situation is particularly bleak — it’s reasonable to see more normalization playing out,” he said, referring to travel spending getting back on par with pre-pandemic trends. Still, it’s not hard to see why this mixed picture is prompting travel companies to tread carefully.

Persons: —, ”, Brian Chesky, “ It’s, Ellie Mertz, Chris Nassetta, Airbnb’s Mertz, haven’t, Jan Freitag, ” Freitag, Walt Disney, Gary Hershorn, David Tinsley, Tinsley, “, Steve Hafner, it’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Conference, Bank of America Institute, CNN Locations: New York, ”

☆ Disney has a price problem. It has ambitious plans to fix that
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-16 | by ( Natasha Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“With 2025 also being the opening of Universal’s Epic Universe, there will likely also be negative impacts on Walt Disney World attendance. Still, the price of Disney tickets today compared to past years prices out some families. The grievance from the fan community is that this used to be free at Disney parks. Transportation from the Orlando airport to Disney World property also used to be included for Disney hotel guests, but that service has been discontinued. Munsil said the Disney parks are “expensive, yes, but there’s nothing else on Earth like them.”

Persons: CNN —, Raymond James, Hugh Johnston, Josh D’Amaro, ” D’Amaro, D’Amaro, ”, “, Gary Hershorn, Tom Bricker, ” Bricker, Bricker, Don Munsil, Munsil, Mindy Marzec, ” Munsil, Victoria Wade, ” Wade, Wade Organizations: CNN, CNN — Disney, Disney, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Pixar, Corbis, “, Walt Disney, Walt Disney World, “ Star, Busch, Transportation, Food, Disney Food, Magic, Universal Studios, Magic Kingdom Locations: Orlando, Anaheim , California, Wakanda, California, Florida

☆ Late-Summer Travel Plans? You Might Want to Put On a Mask.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Ceylan Yeğinsu | Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Yet throughout the United States, Covid-19 is currently circulating at very high levels. Since the end of the mandate, and as travel has returned to or surpassed prepandemic levels, most travelers have abandoned preventive measures, particularly masks. Here’s what you need to know about masks and your travel plans. The number of reported cases appears to be climbing both in the United States and abroad. In the United States, there are “very high” levels of the virus in wastewater samples nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization Locations: United States

Introduction to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit CardThe Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is perfect for infrequent Southwest travelers who want some benefits with this airline without paying a high annual fee. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card BenefitsThe Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card doesn't come with some of the other benefits offered by other Southwest cards, such as elite-qualifying points or travel credits. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card Annual Fee and Other CostsThe Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, in addition to charging a $69 annual fee, also charges foreign transaction fees of 3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card vs. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit CardThe Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is Southwest's top-tier consumer credit card, and the one you should consider if you frequently fly Southwest. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat are the main benefits of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card?

Persons: cardholders, HBO Max, they'll, you'll, Chase, Cardholders, You'll, Jasmin Baron, Read, Angela Fung Organizations: Business, Rewards, Card, Southwest, Rapid, Southwest ®, FDIC, Apple, Disney, ESPN, HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Paramount, Showtime, Spotify, YouTube, Central America, U.S, Premier, Chase Southwest Rapid, Chase, Sapphire, Southwest Rapid, Southwest Airlines, Chase Bank, Finance Locations: Southwest, Hawaii, Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, U.S, Central, Southwest airfare, Chase, Canada

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