Carnival Cruise Lines has closed an innovative deal for five more ships. That
deal will mean more than 8,000 more new berths (beds) for North Americans between
2006 and 2008. In all, Carnival Corp. has 13 new ship deliveries planned through
April, 2009.
Today’s Carnival Corp. is a far cry from the small one-ship fleet operated by
the Carnival Cruise Lines brand back in 1972. In 2005, Carnival Corp. is firmly
afloat as the world’s largest cruise company, with 77 ships and more than 132,000
berths. It’s 12 major cruise brands (yes, 12) and two tour companies – Holland
America Tours and Princess Tours – collectively host more than 6.3 million guests
annually.
Larger ships lead to more space, and more space gives the cruise lines the opportunity
to do different things, whether that’s additional alternative dining facilities,
Movies Under the Stars, or Explorations Café – powered by The New York Times.
Two classes of ships, the Conquest-class and Caribbean Princess-class, carry
over 3,000 passengers. Passenger acceptance of these products is every bit as
good as it is for some of the smaller ships, if not better. The economies start
to work against you when big becomes too big and the passenger experience could
be negatively impacted. There is no question that on the very large ships, the
distances that people have to go from place to place (onboard) is quite a lot.
So the cruise lines engineer the interior plans very carefully. Fortunately,
with new technologies, interactive television and Internet pre-booking of shore
excursions, technology upgrades over the past five years have enabled Carnival
to effectively minimize lines on-board.
Did you know you can pre-book shore excursions on-line for your Carnival cruise?
Carnival Cruise Lines has increased total berths offered at five different U.S.
homeports this year, and has placed much emphasis on new homeports at Mobile,
Alabama and Jacksonville, Florida. Holland America and Princess are doing similar
things in Norfolk, Virginia and Galveston, Texas. Holland America just announced
deeper seasonality in New York, meaning it will now be there in the off-season.
Carnival Corp. gave $3.2 million to the tsunami victims. They also gave $1 million
to hurricane relief efforts in Florida last year.
Not All Identity Theft Is Cyberspaced; Incidents More Likely To Be "Paper-Based"
In light of new research, BBB urges identity safety precautions in the "real
world" as well as the "virtual" world.
For Immediate Release
[Arlington, VA, February 6, 2005] -- The Better Business Bureau system is joining
with other organizations to highlight identity safety during this year's National
Consumer Protection Week (Feb. 6-12).
"Identity theft continues to be a very serious threat. One in 23 adults will
be victimized this year, with a total loss exceeding $50 billion. To prevent the
misuse of our personal information, survey research shows we should be as safety-conscious
in our home and office, as we are on the Internet," said Ken Hunter, president
and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.
The 2005 Identity Fraud Survey report, recently released by the BBB and Javelin
Strategy & Research, indicates that common fears about online identity fraud
may be out of proportion to the real risks that confront consumers. The surprising
results indicate that people should pay greater attention to the more traditional
paper-based world when taking steps to protect their personal identity.
The survey of 4,000 individuals found:
The most frequently reported sources of information used to commit identity fraud
are not computer-based. A lost or stolen wallet, checkbook or credit card was
cited by almost 29% of the victims who knew how their personal information had
been obtained; 11% cited friends/acquaintances and relatives; another, 8% blamed
corrupt employees with access to personal information. Computer crimes accounted
for 11.6% of the perpetrator sources known by victims.
Among cases where the perpetrator's identity is known, half of all misuse of
personal information was committed by a friend, family member, relative, neighbor
or in-home employee.
"Too often, we think of our home or office as a comfort zone, where we can let
down our guard. Unfortunately, that is not the case with our personal information,"
said Mr. Hunter.
First, Learn How to Prevent Unauthorized Access to your Personal Info
The BBB advises consumers to begin this week by reviewing how they carry, store,
send and destroy documents that contain personally identifiable information. This
includes credit cards, ATM and debit cards, Social Security card, statements from
financial service companies, billing statements, incoming and outgoing mail and
other documents.
"A good way to begin your identity safety inventory is to take a quiz specifically
designed by Javelin Survey & Research and the BBB, based on the identity safety
'best practice,'" suggested Mr. Hunter. "The quiz, which is posted online at www.identitysafety.net permits people to assess their identity safety from two perspectives. First,
are the steps I am currently taking to fight identity fraud really enough? Secondly,
how can I protect myself from having personal financial information taken without
my consent?"
The quiz takes only minutes to complete, and is available in both English and
Spanish. Once finished, the quiz-taker receives a score, with a list of specific
suggestions that will help that person improve their identity safety. The higher
the score, the more a person needs to do to "lock down" their personal security
or the security of their small business.
Second, Be Proactive in Detecting Unauthorized Activity
After you've taken the necessary steps to protect access to your personal information,
the BBB suggests you take preventive measures that will help you detect unauthorized
activity on your accounts, should that occur.
"Our survey research found that a majority of identity fraud crimes are self-detected.
And, the losses are lower if the victim was using electronic review of their transactions,
statement and credit reports to detect unauthorized access," said Mr. Hunter.
In addition to monitoring account balances and activity at least weekly, the
BBB recommends that consumers monitor their credit reports at least annually;
use e-mail account "alerts" to monitor transfers, payments, low balances and withdrawals;
and, consider moving to online statements and bill-paying.
"Of course, if you do bank online, take the necessary safety precautions. Place
a password protection on your computer and your sensitive files (such as your
online banking file); ensure that your computer has a firewall to protect from
Internet attacks; install good anti-virus/anti-spyware software on your computer
and regularly update it; and, keep the security features of your computer's operating
system current," the BBB president advised.
For More Info
To read more about the findings from the 2005 Identity Fraud Survey Report, which
was sponsored by CheckFree, Visa and Wells Fargo & Company, go to www.javelinstrategy.com/reports. For more information about identity theft in Spanish from the Better Business
Bureau, go to www.bbb.org/idtheft.
A dark environment, a comfortable temperature, an afternoon nap and a soothing
scent are among a traveler's best defenses.
A little fatigue may be inevitable, but here are a few simple steps sleep experts
suggest to get you back to top form:
Even relatively small amounts of light can reset the body's internal clock,
so find as dark an environment as possible when traveling.
· Try to get a window seat near the front of the plane when flying. It's quieter
and you'll have more control over the amount of light surrounding you, particularly
with your own window shade. Bring along an eye mask to block more light.
· When staying in a hotel, bring a nightlight or penlight if you get up at night.
Using the least amount of light possible to get around helps avoid disturbing
the body's circadian clock.
· Try to keep the thermostat in your hotel room between 68 and 72 degrees. That's
the optimal temperature for most people, but adjust to the temperature that is
best for you. Make sure your hands and feet are extra warm.
· Lavender oil or a spritz of lavender linen spray on your sheets often helps
with restful sleep. The Sense of Smell Institute found that lavender increases
the amount of time spent in the restful, restorative phase of sleep.
· A nap during the day helps make up for
tossing and turning for people who normally sleep well but don't get enough sleep
one night. Naps also help when you know you're going to have to stay up later
the same night.
· Try not to nap too close to bedtime or for more than 90 minutes. Doing so
can throw off your body's internal rhythm.
The only people who shouldn't be napping are those losing sleep from insomnia
or depression. Napping can worsen these conditions.
Before you finalize your vacation plans for the summer, be sure you have given
careful thought to whether you need to purchase travel insurance. There are circumstances
that could cause you to cancel your trip, return home early or force you to seek
emergency medical treatment while traveling. Travel insurance may provide the
extra protection you need.
Before you purchase coverage, check your homeowner’s or medical insurance policies
to avoid any overlapping. For instance, expensive items such as your camcorder,
laptop computer or jewelry may be covered by your homeowner’s insurance should
they be stolen while you are traveling. If the airline loses your checked luggage,
they are required to reimburse you for your bags (up to a certain dollar amount).
Or, if you become sick or injured while traveling, your personal medical insurance
may pick up the cost of your medical bills.
According, to Consumer Reports, various types of protection are generally (but not always) included in a travel
insurance policy. Be sure to read the fine print: It determines whether your travel
insurance covers what you may be assuming that it does. Policies and insurance
firms differ in what they cover so be sure to ask.
Some of the different types of insurance available include:
Trip Cancellation/Interruption (TCI) – If your plans suddenly change and you
have to cancel or end your trip early, TCI will cover you for this. But, it will
only reimburse you for reasons on the insurer’s acceptable list, such as, injury,
sickness, death of yourself, a family member, a traveling companion or business
partner. Some policies will cover only medical reasons and some will not cover
pre-existing medical conditions. It is very important to read the fine print.
Emergency Medical Evacuation – If you are going on an adventure vacation or to
an area that is far from modern medical facilities, it may be a good idea to buy
this coverage. If adequate treatment is not available at a local hospital, you
would be transferred to the nearest adequate medical faculty.
Baggage Loss – This coverage reimburses you for lost, stolen or damaged bags.
Before packing, be sure to make a list of everything; if your bag is lost, you
may be reimbursed for some contents, but not all.
The BBB, along with Consumer Reports, advise the following:
Read the fine print. Know exactly what coverage you are getting or not getting.
Consider buying your travel insurance from an independent firm, rather than from
the tour operator or cruise line.
Protect yourself further by paying with a charge card.
Baggage-loss protection is only necessary if you are carrying more than $2,500
worth of items in your bags. Be sure to check your homeowner’s policy.
Bills to lift Cuba travel bans introduced in D.C.(04/27/2005)
WASHINGTON -- Cuba was center stage as lawmakers in the House and the Senate
separately introduced identical bills that would lift travel restrictions to the
island.
The bill were introduced as part of a daylong Cuba Action Day event held here
during which hundreds pro-travel to Cuba supporters lobbied Congress to end the
45-year old travel ban.
Sen. Michael Enzi (R-Wy.) introduced the “Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2005”
(S.894) in the Senate, while Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) sponsored the “Export Freedom
to Cuba Act of 2005” (H.R. 1814) in the House.
Under the bills, the U.S. government would no longer “regulate or prohibit, directly
or indirectly, travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or legal residents”.
Although the current restrictions, which include hefty fines for unsanctioned
travel, are designed to ultimately destabilize the Communist Cuban government,
Flake, a longtime advocate for opening travel to the Caribbean island, said, “More
contact not less [is] how we can help the Cuban people.”
Flake, who recently visited Cuba, was joined by Rep. William Delahunt (D-Mass.),
another long-time advocate for unrestricted travel to Cuba, who sharply criticized
the Bush administration, which last May added a rule that limits when family members
can visit relatives in Cuba.
“It is a truly a policy that is surreal,” he said.
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