Daily Archives: March 5, 2020

GO Battle League Season 1: Everything You Need to Know – Pokemon GO Hub

Posted: March 5, 2020 at 6:54 pm

Trainers, attention! The GO Battle League preseason is coming to an end, and Niantic has just announced that Season 1 starts this month on Friday, March 13, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT 7)!

Niantic has prepared a metric ton of events, rewards and challenges in the period leading up to the start of Season 1, all of which weve collected and broken down in this article. New shiny Pokmon and Elite Fast and Charged TMs are on their way as well!

Note for all events mentioned in this post: In-game events for may vary in the following areas until further notice. Players in these areas can stay tuned to official Niantic and GO Hub channels for updates.

As a thank you for participating in Preseason, Trainers who achieved rank 4 or higher will receive a Premium Battle Pass as part of their end-of-preseason rewards.

To celebrate the end of the preseason, from today, Thursday, March 5, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST (GMT 8) to Friday, March 13, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT 7), all three leagues will be available to play in the GO Battle League!

For a limited time, Darkrai, Altered Forme Giratina, and Thundurus will be coming to the GO Battle League as rare reward encounters, starting at rank 4! Darkrai and Altered Forme Giratina especially can be powerful additions to your Ultra League and Master League teams, so be sure to catch them if you can!

Leading up to and at the beginning of Season 1, look forward to the following GO Battle Leaguethemed events to help you catch strong Pokmon to use in battle and gain more Stardust to power up your Pokmon.

Please note, the event-exclusive Pokmon appearing in raids and in the wild will not occur in Japan, South Korea, and Italy. Event bonuses will still occur in Japan, South Korea, and Italy.

Date and time:

Strong Pokmon will be appearing in raids, including Skarmory, Swampert, Shieldon, and more! Registeel and Cresselia will be appearing in five-star raids. Youll also earn twice the usual Stardust from Raid Battles and Trainer Battles during this event. Please note that this bonus will not apply to GO Battle League Trainer Battles.

Featured Pokmon:

Date and time:

More Pokmon thought to be powerful in the GO Battle League will be available in raids, including Altered Forme Giratina in five-star raids. Fighting-type Pokmon will also be appearing more frequently in the wild! Also if youre lucky, you might find a Shiny Timburr! Your best bet would be battling and catching it in one-star raids!

There will also be the following GO Battle League bonuses during the event period.

Featured Pokmon

Niantic is tuning and tweaking several aspects of the GO Battle League. Were excited to announce the following changes to the GO Battle League for Season 1:

Season 1 will rotate through leagues, just like the preseason did. Season 2 is set to begin in early May, but please note that all these dates are still tentative. Stay tunedwell update you as soon as anything changes.

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Pokemon Go Elite TMs and How to Get the Best Use out of Them – Future Game Releases

Posted: at 6:54 pm

What a joyous day for the Pokemon GO fans. It has been announced that Elite TMs are finally coming to the popular mobile game. It looks like these TMs will give the Trainers an ability to select which move they want their favorite Pokemon to learn and make them unstoppable.

In the first season of the Battle League, only single Elite TMs will be available. This is something we have already known for a long time, thanks to the data miners, which said that this item will let Trainers pick a movie from a selected list.

Now, with the official announcement we learned that the new item will let the players teach their Pokemon exclusive moves, including Community Day moves and also Raid exclusive moves. Woohoo! It was also stated that this is a rare item, which could only be obtained through Go Battle League.Because Niantic loves to listen to their fans, now we can see our Mewtwo, Zapdos and many other Legendary Pokemon meet their full potential.

The Elite TMs is that it will be an end of season reward for the first PvP season.

For last, heres how to use your Elite TMs, thanks to the following analysis and djf881.

How to use your elite TMs from r/TheSilphRoad

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Massive growth of Preservation TMS(Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Coil Market 2025 with high CAGR In Coming Years with Focusing Key players like…

Posted: at 6:54 pm

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Massive growth of Preservation TMS(Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Coil Market 2025 with high CAGR In Coming Years with Focusing Key players like...

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Lindsay Luetje goes above and beyond as Telstar dean – Lewiston Sun Journal

Posted: at 6:54 pm

BETHEL In late February, Telstar Middle School Dean of Students, Lindsay Luetje, was the recipient of New England League of Middle Schools (NELMS) A+ Administrator Award. She was one of three administrators to be recognized.

Luetje, described by peers as passionate, empathetic and a champion, acts as the schools energizer bunny, whose efforts inside and outside its doors never seem to end.

After teaching eighth grade English/Language Arts for 20 years at Telstar, Luetje was named Dean of TMS Students in 2018. The decision to transition into an administrative role was not easy for Luetje, considering her love for teaching.

Teacher Stephanie Mastroianni submitted a letter to the NELMS, nominating Luetje for the award. The choice was an easy one for her.

Lindsay is a powerhouse, who, as our dean of students, leads the TMS faculty and students with determination, sensitivity and boundless energy, Mastroianni said in her letter.

Superintendent Dave Murphy also spoke on Luetjes value to the school.

This award is well-deserved recognition for an outstanding educator. As the Dean of Telstar Middle School, Lindsay Luetje has been able to effectively build on the relationships she first developed with students, parents and staff during her years as an exemplary classroom teacher in the school, Murphy said. Her level of investment in her students and staff is apparent to all who come in contact with her. Her nomination and ultimate selection for this award is acknowledgement of her many efforts. She is a true champion of her school and has excelled in her role as Dean of Students. We are fortunate to have her as part of the MSAD 44 team.

She is a vital part of the team indeed. Another part of her job is resolving conflicts. Both students and faculty have approached her for help, and sometimes resulting in restorative circles. Mastroianni explained the purpose of the circle is to have the person/people who inflicted harm and the person/people who were harmed come together and talk. The person who was upset has the chance to speak about why they were upset, while the other person listens. Then the person who caused the distress has the opportunity to respond.

Often in these situations Luetje is usually asked by faculty or students for help, simply because they trust her, Mastroianni said. She added that Luetjes well-balanced demeanor plays to her advantage, being able to display empathy and sympathy toward students, but also putting her foot down when they are misbehaving.

Some mornings, students witness Luetjes fun side. The last school day of each month shell play music to kick off Telstars Star Assembly Days, a school-wide assembly that occurs at the end of each month that focuses on topics like perseverance, embracing failure, and building healthy friendships, the latter of which was the most recent topic. Sometimes Luetje will also play music if she feels the school needs a pick-me-up after a rough week.

This past Valentines Day, she took heart cutouts and put pencils in each of them. Staying after hours once again, Luetje went to every locker in the school and taped the cutout on them with the words you matter on them. She wrote personal notes to teachers and stuck them on their doors.

Although her title says Dean of Students, she looks after faculty, too. On difficult days, and even weeks, Luetje will make tea for staff members and has made a crock pot of soup for them to share also.

Luetje volunteers for bus duty, lunch duty and detention duty. When a good portion of school was hit by an illness, Luetje, along with students, helped clean sections of the school because the maintenance crew was short staffed. She also substituted many classes until teachers returned.

One of Luetjes biggest involvements is with the Oxford County Resiliency Project, a group that has tried to reduce the effects Adverse Childhood Experiences (A.C.E.S.) has had on children. Mastroianni noted in her letter that many students come from homes where A.C.E.S. occur frequently. Her work with the project sanctioned Telstar to get a two-year grant worth more than $200,000. The goal of the grant is to develop and sustain a trauma responsive school system.

She is also known for her ability to work with parents.

Ive sat in and taken notes on her phone conversations with parents, Mastroianni said.

Luetje listens to parents perspectives and shares her own with them, using her well-balanced demeanor to ease a tense conversation, if needed.

Her efforts do not stop outside Telstar. She coaches soccer for kindergarteners, takes students out after hours for bowling and movie nights and started a remembrance garden to honor students and staff that have died. Over the past three years, thanks to volunteers, students and donations, more than 1,500 bulbs have been planted.

Last summer she helped provide the best possible experience for Chinese students who traveled to Bethel as part of a program put together by her, Dean of THS Students John Eliot, and other staff. During the Chinese students stay, Luetje planned activities, gave a writing lesson and hosted the entire group at her house for table painting, blueberry picking and bonfire smores. In November, she and Eliot traveled to China with four students for two weeks, where they visited multiple schools, toured Beijing City and visited the Great Wall.

According to Mastroianni, Luetje arrives around 7 a.m. and leaves by 5:30 p.m. at the earliest. Often though, shell stay later. In that window of time she not only carries the weight of being dean to 159 enrolled students, but also still manages to teach one period of public speaking a day to eighth graders. When she is home, she has five-year-old twins waiting for her. Thats a lot to have on one plate, but yet, her energy still seems endless.

I appreciate the recognition for my efforts, but honestly, I dont do this job for awards. I really love what I do middle school kids are my jam, Luetje said.

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What Is A Game Localization System And What Can It Do For You? [Part 1] – Gamasutra

Posted: at 6:54 pm

The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutras community.The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.

This blog is originally published on LocalizeDirect website.

What is Localization CMS?

Agame localization CMSis an all-in-one localization system that handles every aspect of your game translation. Its a collaborative platform that gives everyone concerned a real-time view of precisely where your localization efforts are.

Developers, translation teams, and testers can all use the localization CMS wherever they are based. It acts as a central repository for game assets from text strings to audio files to images. Its a complete game localization system that allows text strings and queries to be shared, tracks changes, and controls access to source and translated text.

It makes life easier for everyone

Atranslation management system (TMS) can also act as a localization platform and covers some of the same bases as a CMS. A TMS helps you manage translations, assign tasks, and may offer translation memory and machine translation. Like any good game localization tool, it will also offer reports on progress.

You may be wondering what the difference between CMS and TMS is - a game localization CMS can go beyond simple translation to help developers with the organization of game assets and the management of game quality. A localization CMS offers a deeper tool set and greater transparency.

To truly appreciate the benefits of a game localization CMS, you must consider the traditional game development life cycle and the most commonly used tools for localization. Usually, game localizations occur at the very end of development in rushed batches. The most used game localization tool is probably the humble spreadsheet.

The trouble with spreadsheets

What happens when you start sharing a spreadsheet and coordinating departments via email? Mistakes happen. People use the wrong version and miss the latest string translations. People overwrite completed work accidentally or ask questions that have already been answered. Tasks that could be automated have to be completed manually. An import and export procedure must be worked out. If files are delayed and dont make the build in time, they must wait for the next one.

Its also a slow procedure. The developers send a spreadsheet to the translators who come back with questions before they can complete the translation. The first version is then loaded into the game and testers look and flag any issues. The developers must fix the issues, which may require a new translation, and so it goes.

Rinse and repeat

This back and forth is even more of an issue in the age of DLC and game expansions. A game may continue to grow for years after release and expand with a steady stream of content that all must be localized. With the traditional model, youre starting from scratch again every single time.

via GIPHY

With a game localization CMS you have a clear framework for the localization project and that offers many compelling advantages:

In short, a localization CMS allows you to build a solid foundation. But thats not all: Its also free of the typical issues that arise from copying and pasting into countless different versions of spreadsheets that are sent back and forth.

Every action is recorded

If there is an error, you can track it down, see who was responsible and roll back if necessary. You can control what goes into each version of the game. You can track and filter strings and apply translations across the board. Theres no need to redo work that has already been done, and the CMS ensures you dont miss anything that may need to be amended in an update or after a last-minute change.

You can start this process right from day one, theres no need to wait until the end of development this localization software is flexible and fully scalable.

Direct to game

With robust API integration you can even set your localization CMS to push strings directly into the game, enabling testers to tweak and fix things without having to disturb a programmer. You can also set simple limits based on character counts or pixel-based text limits, so overlong strings are flagged before they get into the game.

What once took a week of back and forth can potentially be achieved in a few minutes with a localization CMS.

Nothing is ever lost

Every string, every piece of information, every developer note, every translator question and clarification, and every change that has been made is there nothing is lost. If you need to track down a specific piece of text, you can use a filter search with regular expressions you can even layer multiple filters. All the valuable localization data you accumulate can be accessed and reused.

Game localizations done faster, cheaper, and better

A localization CMS enables you to localize your game much more quickly, reducing costs and helping you to eradicate mistakes in the process. Ultimately, it allows your talent to work closely together to craft high quality localizations that match your intentions, making your game the best possible experience for every player.

What functions should the best localization system have? Find an answer here >>>How To Choose The Right Localization CMS

Wondering what features should your perfect loc CMS have? >>>Check it in the 2nd part of the blog.

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BrainsWay to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 6:54 pm

PATTERSON, N.J., March 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BrainsWay Ltd. (NASDAQ & TASE: BWAY) (BrainsWay), a global leader in the advanced non-invasive treatment of brain disorders, today announced that Dr. Christopher von Jako, Chief Executive Officer, will participate in the upcoming investor conferences.

About BrainsWayBrainsWay is a commercial stage medical device company focused on the development and sale of non-invasive neuromodulation products using the Companys proprietary Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Deep TMS) technology for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), for which BrainsWay received marketing authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2013 (for MDD) and in August 2018 (for OCD). BrainsWay is currently conducting clinical trials of Deep TMS in other psychiatric, neurological and addiction disorders.

Forward-Looking StatementThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may be preceded by the words intends, may, will, plans, expects, anticipates, projects, predicts, estimates, aims, believes, hopes, potential or similar words. These forward-looking statements and their implications are based on the current expectations of the management of the Company only and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. In addition, historical results or conclusions from scientific research and clinical studies do not guarantee that future results would suggest similar conclusions or that historical results referred to herein would be interpreted similarly in light of additional research or otherwise. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: inadequacy of financial resources to meet future capital requirements; changes in technology and market requirements; delays or obstacles in launching and/or successfully completing planned studies and clinical trials; failure to obtain approvals by regulatory agencies in the Companys anticipated timeframe, or at all; inability to retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the development of Deep TMS products; unforeseen difficulties with Deep TMS products and processes, and/or inability to develop necessary enhancements; unexpected costs related to Deep TMS products; failure to obtain and maintain adequate protection of the Companys intellectual property, including intellectual property licensed to the Company; the potential for product liability; changes in legislation and applicable rules and regulations; unfavorable market perception and acceptance of Deep TMS technology; inadequate or delays in reimbursement from third-party payers, including insurance companies and Medicare; inability to commercialize Deep TMS, including internationally, by the Company or through third-party distributors; product development by competitors; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications, which could cause the actual results or performance of the Company to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements.

Any forward-looking statement in this press release speaks only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws. More detailed information about the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company is contained under the heading Risk Factors in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contacts: BrainsWay Ltd. Hadar Levy Chief Financial Officer hadarl@Brainsway.com

Bob YedidLifeSci Advisors646-597-6989Bob@LifeSciAdvisors.com

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5 Caribbean Islands Where You Can Go Beyond the Beach – The New York Times

Posted: at 6:53 pm

A third of Grenada, about 100 miles north of Venezuela, is agricultural, with top exports including nutmeg, cocoa and mace, with cinnamon, turmeric and other spices also being cultivated.

Many farms on the oval-shaped island were once devoted primarily to nutmeg, a top export and so important to the country it appears on the national flag. However, Hurricane Ivan in 2004 destroyed most of the nutmeg trees (as well as much of the island) and cocoa, whose trees mature faster than nutmeg, is increasing in importance.

Introduced to Grenada by French settlers in 1714, raw cocoa for centuries was exported overseas for processing. But Grenada pioneered tree-to-bar chocolate in the region, with a former New Yorker named Mott Green establishing the Grenada Chocolate Company in the late 1990s. The island now has five chocolate factories, along with many cocoa farms, that will educate visitors on the various processes harvesting, drying, fermenting and more required to make chocolate and other cocoa products.

At Belmont Estate, a 400-acre, 300-year-old farm in the north of the island, travelers can tour the fields and cocoa processing facilities, and end their visit at the on-site restaurant which serves organic vegetables grown on the farm as well as the local cocoa tea.

Kim Russell, co-owner of Crayfish Bay Organic Cocoa Estate, calls cocoa tea an acid trip on chocolate. (His version includes coconut milk and a drop of rum, for enhancing the chocolate flavor.) He also offers tours of his farm and factory, but its much more informal. Visitors should plan, he said, to eat a lot of chocolate and listen to me talk for two hours.

If you dont have a car, St. Georges, Grenadas picturesque capital known for its brightly painted buildings and scenic harbor, offers the chance to learn about the islands sweet chocolate history at the new Tri-Island Chocolate Factory Cafe, where visitors can make their own bars, and The House of Chocolate, a small museum, boutique and cafe.

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Caribbean tourism threatened by the region’s first cases of COVID-19 – Global Voices

Posted: at 6:53 pm

A Carnival cruise ship docked at the Jamaican resort town of Ocho Rios in 2018. Photo by Emma Lewis, used with permission.

As anxiety grows over the spread of COVID-19 outside China, the Caribbean region is becoming increasingly nervous. As of March 3, 2020, three cases of the coronavirus have been confirmedin St. Martin and St. Barthlmy, and another in the Dominican Republic small nations that remain vigilant as authorities fine-tune already existing response measures.

There are concerns, however, that some island territories are ill-equipped to deal with an outbreak on the scale of COVID-19. As at the time of publishing, there were 95,079 known global cases, with 51,432 recoveries and 3,249 deaths, but the figures are constantly changing.

On Twitter, journalist Jacqueline Charles, who reports for the Miami Herald, wondered whether Haiti could cope with the fallout should the virus spread across the border from the Dominican Republic:

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are not limited to the health sector; despite the silver lining of massively reduced carbon emissions from China since the lockdown over the illness, there have also been negative repercussions for international trade, travel and the global economy.

On February 28, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) upgraded its coronavirus risk for the Caribbean from moderate to high, urging health authorities of CARPHA member states toshift their mindset from preparedness toreadiness and rapid response and continue to do everything necessary to strengthen their capacity to respond to the possible importation of cases.Member states were also encouraged to increase their surveillance capacity and urgently adapt national pandemic preparedness plans to deal with COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which represents 15 member states and five associate member states, had planned a special emergency meeting in Barbados to discuss a regional strategy, but since the confirmation of the three COVID-19 cases, a virtual meeting took place instead. During the session, which was streamed live on Facebook on March 1, CARICOM Chair and Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley announced a regional protocol to handle the virus, following advice from two earlier meetings among regional health officials.

The Caribbean cruise industry experienced a boom year in 2019. In Jamaica, cruise ship passengers made up over 1.5 million of the 4.3 million visitors to the island, but now the industry is beginning to struggle with the fallout from COVID-19. Jamaica's Ministry of Tourism has reportedly downgraded its projected earnings.

Several cruise ships have either been delayed in ports or turned away altogether, because of concerns over passengers showing symptoms that could be associated with the virus. In other cases, passengers from high-risk countries have not been allowed to disembark.

On March 4, a cruise ship carrying hundreds of passengers who boarded in St. Martin (where at least one case has been confirmed) was allowed to dock at Port Royal a port near Kingston, which received its first cruise ship with much fanfare back in January. News reports are hinting at some developing tension between the country's health and tourism ministries over the issue, with Minister of Health Christopher Tufton stressing in a radio interview that the government will not take any unnecessary risks.

There is so much at stake for the cruise line industry that representatives attended the March 1 CARICOM meeting to help ensure that the agreed protocols embraced security and health concerns, and that there would be structures in place to facilitate proper communication between regional governments and cruise operators.

Some cruise lines, however, are beginning to push back against the interim regulations imposed by Caribbean governments. MSC Cruises, which had a ship turned away from both Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, finally docked in Mexico, where President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obradorcommented: We cannot act with discrimination. Passengers turned out to have simply had the flu.

Jamaicas tough stance on cruise ships has also upset operators like Carnival Cruises, who withdrew stops in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands over the past week.

However, many social media users agree that the restrictions are warranted under the current circumstances, as public health comes first:

The nerves continue. Another Jamaican tweeted:

Given the situation, Caribbean Airlines, the main regional carrier, is also reviewing its health and safety measures. In Trinidad and Tobago for instance, passengers from flights originating in countries with confirmed cases of COVID-19 have reported having to pass through an infrared scanner before being allowed to enter the country.

Caribbean citizens have begun, somewhat reluctantly, to limit social contact and avoid the customary hugs or kisses of greeting between friends and family, and handshakes between colleagues and business associates. Well-known Jamaican broadcaster Fae Ellington declared:

Meanwhile, the overall economic impact on small island economies remains to be seen. Despite assertions by Jamaicas Minister of Finance, Nigel Clarke, that there were no cancellations of tourist bookings from the United States (which represents approximately 75 percent of Jamaican visitors), Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett, did not appear sanguine in a radio interview towards the end of February. Private sector representatives who are expecting price rises also do not appear confident. The many small businesses and attractions on the ground that depend on cruise ship business are particularly anxious, with one noting that the major losers are the people of Jamaica, the taxi drivers, the vendors.

One Jamaican Twitter user expressed anxiety over COVID-19's potential impact on tourism, a major earner of foreign exchange for the island:

Another shared:

As the Caribbean braces itself for additional cases of COVID-19, however, economic impacts are not the priority. The region is not taking any chances with the illness, which has, thus far, already claimed thousands of lives across the globe.

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Is This The Next Big Vacation Spot In The Caribbean? – Forbes

Posted: at 6:53 pm

From the rum punch, to the white sand beaches and the turquoise blue waters ideal for snorkeling, its no secret the Caribbean is the consummate vacation host. But, as an alternative to the tourist-heavy, well-established Caribbean hot spots comes a newcomer to the vacation scene: Michs, which is located along the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic.

About 90 minutes from the airport in Punta Cana, this chilled-out destination is just now emerging on the radars of tourists, thanks in large part to a newly opened highway that shaved an hour off the drive time from the airport, making Michs a more feasible vacation spot.

Club Med Michs Playa Esmeralda opened in late 2019, offering four boutique villages within the ... [+] resort.

In late-2019, Club Med Michs Playa Esmeralda became the first resort to open in the area, debuting its eco-chic, all-inclusive 93-acre beachfront property thats surrounded by a verdant palm grove. Next up, Four Seasons is planning Tropicalia, a 169-room oceanfront resort with luxury residences.

Unlike the big hotels youd find in Punta Cana, though, Club Med gave its resort which is the brands first full Exclusive Collection resort to open in the Americas a boutique hotel vibe by divvying the property up into four distinct villages. The family-friendly Explorers Cove is close to the kids club; punchy colors and tropical gardens define Caribbean Paradise and Emerald Jungle is a zen, adults-only space. The most exclusive space is Archipelago, an ultra-luxe, adults-only village where 750-square foot suites come with private pools and ocean views.

Bursts of bright color fill the lobby at Club Med Michs Playa Esmeralda.

In a sense, Club Meds newest Dominican Republic resort feels much like a hideaway. With that in mind, here are a few of its best-kept secrets.

Kids (and anyone else with a sweet tooth!) will feel like theyve stepped into a real-life Candyland once they figure out the passcode to enter this chocolate-themed speakeasy. Inside the decadent Secret Chocolate Room is a chocolate fountain, plus cakes, candies, and ice cream. The resort has a partnership with Xocolat, a Dominican chocolate company that creates its treats with the islands cocoa beans.

The Secret Chocolate Room is like a real life Candyland.

Club Med Michs Playa Esmeralda has plenty of excursion options, ranging from a trip to the scenic El Limn waterfall, a cascading 170-foot fall that you can swim underneath to a whale watching getaway from January to March when humpbacks migrate from Canada to the warmer waters of Saman Bay. But, an especially unique trip is one that winds you up to the top of nearby Montaa Redonda, which translates to rounded mountain. Once there, youll be spoiled with 360-degree views of the regions lush landscape. Several squeal-inducing swings are atop the mountain and are just the prop you need for a jaw-dropping Instagram photo. Those who are afraid of heights can relax in a hammock.

Take a swing on Montaa Redonda, which provides panoramic views (and a great photo for your ... [+] Instagram grid).

Sure, most resorts have volleyball nets and tennis courts. But a unique Club Med amenity? The circus equipment. Trained staff will help you get the swing (no avoiding that pun) of the flying trapeze. Or, let loose on the trampoline.

Take a break from the beach and try your hand a the circus arts.

Other entertaining ways to break up those lazy beach days include archery, trying out a yoga class in the Treetop Wellness Canopy, playing bocce ball or kayaking. But something unique to the resort is jet surfing, and the amateur-approved surfing option is a breezy way to explore the coastline.

A new water sport to try: Jet surfing.

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Is This The Next Big Vacation Spot In The Caribbean? - Forbes

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Cruises and the Coronavirus: What Passengers Need to Know – The New York Times

Posted: at 6:53 pm

Many, including Viking River Cruises, Norwegian, MSC Cruises, Silversea Cruises and Seabourn are letting people delay their sailings, cancel within days of a trip or substitute another passenger for the one originally booked (usually a no-no). Policies vary by company and even by scheduled sailing, so travelers should contact their travel agent or cruise company.

Those who do not meet the current health criteria for boarding can cancel with no penalty, but a doctors note or other proof may be required.

Ms. Fudge, the travel agent, said shes never seen this kind of relaxation of the rules in the cruise industry. I keep getting different notifications, extending final payment, allowing people to change dates, its all unprecedented, she said. Normally if you dont go you lose your money.

Member companies of the industry association CLIA are generally abiding by its evolving rules regarding who can and cant board one of their ships. Passengers and crew are to be kept on shore if they have visited or gone through airports in Iran, South Korea, mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau or parts of Italy within 14 days before embarkation; if they have cared for someone who has or might have Covid-19 disease; or if they have exhibited symptoms of the virus. Travelers turned away for these reasons will receive a full refund.

Royal Caribbean is one company going beyond the CLIA guidelines and denying boarding to any passenger who has come within six feet of anyone who has been in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran, South Korea or Italy within the last 15 days. The company will be relying on passengers to be truthful about any close encounters.

To comply with these regulations, passengers are filling out health and travel questionnaires before they board. Cruise companies always screened passengers for health, but the questions are more specific now to the virus, said Ms. Shelton.

Preboarding temperature checks are also becoming more common.

Companies have been canceling some sailings, adjusting the itineraries of others, and in some cases moving to their next scheduled part of the globe a bit early. Seabourn, for example, canceled one cruise departing from Singapore, and replaced another ships Asian ports of call with Australian ones. Alaska cruises are expected to start up a bit earlier than usual for Viking and some other lines.

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Cruises and the Coronavirus: What Passengers Need to Know - The New York Times

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