Category Archives: Caribbean

File image courtesy Royal Caribbean

PublishedMay 11, 2021 10:58 PM by Ankur Kundu

Michael Bayley, the president,and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., announced through a Facebook post that the company will resume hiring beginning on May 21. The news comes less than a fortnight after the cruise line said it would temporarily suspend recruiting crew members from India, and it has been welcomed by Indian seafarers.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is the world's second-largest cruise company after Carnival Corporation, and it was one of the first to suspend hiring of Indian crew as a result of the re-emergence of COVID-19 in the region. Royal Caribbean Cruises owns both Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises.

Crewmembers from India will be allowed to join Royal Caribbean Cruises under "enhanced protocols." Bayley said that these procedures would be in effect for at least a limited while, but that these improved protocols will be used for crewmembers arriving from other countries where new COVID-19 cases are on the rise.

Before boarding a ship, Indian crew members will be put through a series of tests followed by isolation to ensure their safe embarkation on the ship. Every crewmember boarding the ship must follow a strict protocol, in the following order:

1. PCR Test2. 14-day quarantine3. PCR Test4. Charter flight5. PCR Test6. Given a Covid-19 vaccine7. Quarantine8. PCR Test

The news was welcomed on social media by the cruise line's employees. Many of Royal Caribbean's Indian crew members particularly appreciate the cruise line's vaccination scheme, as India is experiencing vaccine shortages amidst its ongoing outbreak.

The Royal Caribbean crewmembers of the Explorer, Liberty, Navigator, Mariner and Independence of the Seas have already completed their first dose of vaccination at the Port of Miami. Crewmembers joining from India are next on the list.

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Royal Caribbean Resumes Recruiting Indian Crewmembers - The Maritime Executive

THAT SUMMERBy Jennifer Weiner432 pp. Atria. $28.

Weiner, the undisputed boss of the beach read, is back with another stunner. Part mystery and part love story, with a strong dash of coming-of-age, That Summer welcomes readers into the lives of Diana Daisy Shoemaker, her teenage daughter, Beatrice, and Diana Starling, the glamorous corporate consultant whose emails mistakenly land in Daisys inbox.

In her early 20s, Daisy put her own aspirations on hold to marry a wealthy, domineering, to-the-manner-born lawyer, Hal Shoemaker, who still defines himself by his years at an elite New Hampshire boarding school. Even after decades of marriage, Daisy exists on the periphery of Hals world, a homemaker whose efforts are occasionally appreciated but never admired.

Dianas misplaced emails offer a glimpse into a life of glitz and independence in a time when Daisys life feels particularly small. While Daisys cooking, cleaning and coaxing monosyllables out of her teenage daughter, Diana is jetting off to tennis tournaments and celebrating birthdays with spa weekends in Marin County. Soon the two women strike up an unlikely friendship, but the reader suspects that Diana is keeping secrets big ones. You dont have to be a detective to see that more connects her to Daisy than their shared first name. While the mysterys grand reveal is fairly obvious, the getting there is fraught with tension and twists that keep the pages turning furiously.

Weiners book is less concerned with what happened that summer on the Cape than with how the impact of that event has ricocheted wildly across the years, coloring the lives of Diana, Daisy and now Beatrice. Its a thoughtful approach that allows characters depth and complexity, rather than reducing any one of them to a singular moment of trauma.

That Summer incisively examines the way privilege shapes and shields those who wield it, and explores the circuitous path toward healing when justice falls short. Despite the heavy subject matter, Weiners prose is as warm and inviting as ever.

SUMMER ON THE BLUFFSBy Sunny Hostin400 pp. William Morrow. $27.99.

Hostins debut novel is aspirational escapism at its best, balancing an idyllic setting and lush, evocative language with emotional heft and adroit social commentary.

Since coming to New York from New Orleans in 1972, Amelia Vaux has found success on Wall Street and lasting love with steady, adoring Omar Tanner. Together, Ama and Omar have built their dream life, including a gorgeous summer home in the exclusive Black beach community of Oak Bluffs on Marthas Vineyard.

Though they have no children of their own, Ama and Omar have lavished love and support onto their three now grown goddaughters: Perry, a lawyer; Olivia, a financial analyst; and Billie, a marine biologist.

Strangely, the Vaux Tanners seem to have chosen their goddaughters at random, with no obvious prior connection to their families but each woman privately wonders whether theres more to the story.

For years, their questions went unasked, but everything is changing now. Since Omar died, 60-something Ama is looking toward her next act. She invites the three women to spend one last summer in Oak Bluffs with the promise that, by the end of the season, shell select a lucky benefactor who will inherit the house.

Hostin, who is a co-host of The View, nails the balance of sisterly affection and jealousy between her subjects, creating a dynamic that feels wholly authentic when it could have veered toward caricature. Like their godmother, Perry, Olivia and Billie have created lives that look perfect on paper but like Ama, theyre harboring secrets. Over the course of their final summer together, tensions rise, relationships are tested, and all is revealed in a thoughtful, nuanced fashion.

While Ama and Omars decision to withhold information from their goddaughters isnt fully explored, the twists and turns of the mystery are genuinely surprising and pack an emotional wallop. Hostins story is a vast, intricate and ultimately rewarding one about love, family and self-fulfillment.

Despite the weightier subject matter, the language feels like a warm breeze through a silk shirt. In short, this book is summer incarnate.

THE SIRENBy Katherine St. John416 pp. Grand Central. $28.

If theres one word to describe The Siren, its this: salacious. Cole Power, a megastar, is making a movie his son Jacksons directorial debut. Despite Coles icy relationship with Jackson, he has not only agreed to fund the film, but has also agreed to star in it opposite his ex-wife, Jacksons former stepmother, Stella Rivers. For Stella, the project is a lifeboat. After her one-year marriage fizzled, she endured a very public meltdown, a stint in rehab and a failed reality show that left her financially ruined. Her career is nonexistent. Her money is gone. The only thing holding her together is her enigmatic assistant, Felicity, and the chance at redemption offered by a starring role.

Taylor Wasserman, a disgraced producer, also needs The Siren to catapult her back to respectability in the industry. The three narrators plus the articles, interviews and Instagram posts scattered throughout make for a reading experience thats as layered and decadent as a slice of tiramisu.

On the outermost layer, news reports and gossip columns show the medias perception of events, from a distance. Taylors chapters deal primarily with the challenges of being a woman in Hollywood. Stellas sections dive a bit deeper, probing the American obsession with building up women only to destroy them.

But perhaps most intimate of all are the chapters following Felicity from childhood to present, which brilliantly flip the small-town girl coming to L.A. with a dream clich on its head. Is she after a role, revenge or something else?

As St. John reveals the assistants dark past and teases at her true motive, the sense of foreboding grows alongside the threat of a hurricane hitting the films shooting location in the Caribbean.

If you put The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Gone Girl and Big Little Lies into a blender, you might get The Siren pulpy and scandalous enough to compete with a glossy-paged gossip rag, but with brisk, lucid writing.

Originally posted here:

From Cape Cod to Marthas Vineyard to the Caribbean, These Beach Reads Will Whisk You Into Summer - The New York Times

While Royal Caribbean has not revealed its full protocols for its summer cruises on Adventure of the Seas, face masks will not be necessary on its private island.

Face masks have been a major point of contention among cruise fans who want to know where and when you will have to wear masks, but Royal Caribbean has confirmed face masks are not going to be required on Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed, confirmed to travel agents during a webinar the nature of its private island makes not wearing a mask on the island safe.

Beginning June 12, Adventure of the Seas will begin offering cruises out of Nassau, Bahamas and include two days in a row at the cruise line's private island.

Read more:Royal Caribbean Summer 2021 Cruise Planning Guide

"At Perfect Day at CocoCay, because it is our private destination and everybody who lives on the island will have the vaccination and all guests will be vaccinated who are 18 and older, you will not have to wear a mask when you're at Perfect Day at CocoCay," Freed said during the opening of her call with travel agents.

Ms. Freed said Royal Caribbean is still working on where else you will have to wear masks, including the other ports of call the ship will visit.

Read more:Do's & Don'ts of Perfect Day at CocoCay

"We are still trying to get the details on Cozumel, and Grand Bahama Islands, and hopefully by next week we'll have all those details to share with you."

Royal Caribbean said adults would be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to sail on the voyages. Children under the age of 18 will be able to sail with just proof of a negative COVID-19 test. All crew also will require COVID-19 vaccinations to work on the ship.

Since Adventure of the Seas is sailing from outside the United States and not visiting any U.S. ports, the ship does not have to adhere to any guidance or recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC recently released requirements and recommendations for health protocols on cruise ships for test sailings from the U.S., which have largely been seen as overbearing and overly conservative.

Specifically, the CDC said in its technical instructions that"mask use and social distancing must be observed" while at a cruise line private island.

Royal Caribbean's ships will have reduced capacity (around 50% initially) along with fully vaccinated adults onboard.

This week, the New York Times called the CDC's outdoor COVID-19 outdoor transmission statistics a "misleading statistic."

The share of transmission that has occurred outdoors seems to be below 1 percent and may be below 0.1 percent, according to multiple epidemiologists.

This small piece of information about masks on CocoCay is one part of Royal Caribbean's plan for guests and crew once ships do resume sailings.

Ms. Freed confessed that the original plan was for Royal Caribbean to announce their full set of protocols and how ships will resume cruises again today, but the line needs more time.

"We had truly hoped that we would be able to announce our protocols and our return to service today," Ms. Freed said during the webinar. "So as we get the information on the protocols and return to service, you will hear it here first."

Ms. Freed said she is headed to Washington D.C. next week, but she said the new protocols could be coming as early as next week, "if we're ready to announce a return to service and our protocols and our deployment, ...we're going to give you something that I know you've all been waiting for."

The return to service Ms. Freed alluded to could be regarding Royal Caribbean's plans to restart cruises from the United States, similar to what Carnival did yesterday.

Carnival Cruise Line announced it has canceled July sailings for all but four of its 24 vessels, with those vessels potentially restarting from Texas, Florida, and Seattle.

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Royal Caribbean says passengers will not have to wear face masks on Perfect Day at CocoCay - Royal Caribbean Blog

TITLE: Associate, Latin American and the Caribbean Programs

LOCATION: Remote

DEPARTMENT: International Programs

REPORTS TO: Associate Director, Latin American and the Caribbean Programs

ASSIGNMENT TYPE: Regular, FTE (40 hours per week)

ABOUT AMERICARESAmericares is a health-focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves health for people affected by poverty or disaster. Each year, Americares reaches 90 countries on average, including the United States, with life-changing health programs, medicine, medical supplies and emergency aid. Americares is the worlds leading nonprofit provider of donated medicine and medical supplies. For more information, visit americares.org.In the last fiscal year Americares, the Latin American and Caribbean Programs team delivered over $97 million in medical gift-in-kind to partners in 10 countries across the region, and implemented infection prevention and control, WASH, supply chain strengthening, and green energy infrastructure programs in Dominican Republic, Dominica, El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti. Also, Americares has rapidly expanded its program presence in LAC with a focus on strengthening primary care facilities to become thriving local health centers.

Americares defines thriving local health centers as those with strength in four areas: Professional capacity of the health center itself; Sense of care, respect, and dignity patients experience; Community engagement to prevent disease and promote good health, while ensuring those served by a health center have a voice in how it serves them; and Connection with larger health system for referral, support, and resilience.

POSITION SUMMARY:Under the supervision of the Associate Director of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Programs, the Associates main role will be to coordinate and expand the Americares network of ongoing Access to Medicine partners in LAC. This network currently includes international and national NGOs, faith-based organizations, and government partners in St. Lucia, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru.

The Associate will be a point of contact for all partners in this ongoing Access to Medicine network and will collaboratively support the teams Access to Medicine work and agenda. Additionally, the Associate will have diverse responsibilities in the areas of program administration, medical logistics, operations, finance, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, emergency response and recovery, stakeholder engagement, legal and compliance, development, and supply chain management.

Duties and Responsibilities:-Review, offer, and coordinate medical Gift-In-Kind products to support ongoing Access to Medicine partners in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)-Maintain trackers and files related to shipments of Gift-In-Kind products-Coordinate the annual partnership renewal process with all ongoing Access to Medicine partners within LAC-Run background checks on Partner organizations, Vendors, Contractors, Consultants, as necessary.-Provide exceptional and timely service to Access to Medicine partners, including phone/Zoom coordination calls as necessary.-Work closely with cross-departmental teams, including Gift-In-Kind Process Management, Logistics, Development, Corporate Relations, Marketing and Communications, LAC desk officers, and Field and Project Administration-Collect and review reporting from ongoing LAC Access to Medicine partners, including shipment paperwork submissions, distribution data, and impact reporting.-Collect needs lists and qualitative and quantitative data to support specialty donation requests for LAC partners.-Compile and submit monthly and quarterly reporting and data to LAC team leadership and for donors, gather targeted impact stories from our partners.-Support the Marketing and Communications team with updating LAC webpage content related to Access to Medicines partners and countries.-Travel within the LAC regions to perform site monitoring visits with Access to Medicine partners-Support innovation and process improvements related to Americares Access to Medicine work, including beta-testing new software and processes, providing feedback on SOPs, and taking part in relevant working groups-Assist during internal and external audit inquiries-Respond to all information requests from external parties interested in Americares Access to Medicine work in LAC-Translate short documents and phone calls as necessary-Provide administrative support to across LAC portfolio as necessary

Qualifications:Bachelors Degree in Public Health, International Development, International Relations, Supply Chain Management, or a related fieldLiteracy and fluency in written and spoken Spanish requiredKnowledge of Latin America and/or the Caribbean regions; history working with low-resource settings a plus.Passion for the Americares mission and the fields of global health and international developmentGenuine interest in improving access to medicines and medical supplies in low resource countries and settingsExceptionally strong organization skills and attention to detailDemonstrated ability to multi-task and be adaptableExcellent interpersonal and cross-cultural skills and diplomacyExcellent written and oral communications skills in English, including report writing and editingAbility and flexibility to travel to Latin America and the Caribbean, if needed, up to 15% of the timeAbility to work without constant supervision (self-sufficient, self-starter, proactive, and a fast learner)High proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and SharePoint)Willingness and ability to learn new systems i.e. inventory management, finance, M&EKnowledge of, or experience with, inventory management and supply chain principles a plus

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Associate, Latin American and the Caribbean Programs - ReliefWeb

The annual Monsters of Rock Cruise is set to sail on the Freedom of the Seas from Royal Caribbean International in 2022, marking the sailing's 10th anniversary

Departing out of Miami, Florida, promoter On The Blue announced the five-night full ship charter cruise will set sail February 9 to 14 and visit two ports in CocoCay, Bahamas and Labadee, Haiti, and feature performances from Alice Cooper, along with performances from over 35 artists.

The public on-sale kicks off on May 11 at 9:00 am ET, with cabins starting at $1,799.00 per person (double occupancy, not including mandatory taxes and fee supplement).

The supporting lineup for the cruise includes Queensrche, Cinderellas Tom Keifer, Skid Row, Lit, L.A. Guns, Kix, Winger, Michael Monroe, Great White, H.E.A.T, Loudness, Pat Travers, Y&T, Eclipse, Vixen, Rose Tattoo, Black N Blue, Firewind, Chris Holmes, Joel Hoekstra, Lillian Axe, Faster Pussycat, Pink Cream 69, Dangerous Toys, Killer Dwarfs, XYZ, Beasto Blanco, Electric Boys, Crazy Lixx, Little Caesar, Roxanne, Signal 13, and The Mayor of MORC - John Corabi. Plus, official cruise hosts -- Eddie Trunk (VH1, SiriusXM), comedians Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine (former hosts of VH1 Classic's hit TV show That Metal Show), SiriusXMs Ozzys Boneyard and Hair Nation hosts Keith Roth and Lc Carl, Nikki Blakk, Izzy and Brian, Metal DJ Will, and Ginger Fish -- will be moderating Q&As and activities specifically designed to bring the party up a notch, the charterer said in a statement.

In addition to performances, MORC 22 will host interactive events between artists and cruisers, including: Artist/Cruiser Q&A sessions, Gong Show Karaoke, So You Think You Can Shred, Cooking with Rock Stars, Painting With Rock Stars, Rock Stars vs Average Joe Basketball, and Beach Volleyball, with more to be announced. Furthermore, the cruise will host themed nights, opportunities to dine with selected bands, and artist photo experiences.

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Royal Caribbean Ship to Host Monsters of Rock Cruise in 2022 - Cruise Industry News

Ahead of next weeks Discovery upfront, the company is announcing three new shows coming this summer, including a spinoff of 90 Day Fianc, one of the most popular shows on television. 90 Day: Caribbean Love will premiere on Discovery Plus on July 18, and two more shows So Freakin Cheap (June 21) and You, Me & My Ex (June 20) are coming to TLC.

90 Day: Caribbean Love, produced by Industrial Medias Sharp Entertainment, will be the latest 90 Day Fianc offering to premiere on Discovery Plus, the streaming service the company launched in January. The streamer features a suite of the Discovery networks unscripted programming, from multiple 90 Day offshoots to shows from Food, HGTV, OWN, Magnolia Network and originals for the streamer.

More from Variety

As of Discoverys most recent earnings report, Discovery Plus had landed 13 million subscribers so far. It will soon venture into scripted programming also.

According to the logline for the 90 Day docu-soap, The tropics will provide the backdrop for relationships in various phases from a couple who met online but will now meet for the first time, holiday flings that turned serious and even a one-night stand that turned into a pregnancy. Will meeting in paradise work out once the suntan fades?

TLC, meanwhile, has continued its roll as cables No. 1 entertainment channel this year. Among women in the 18-to-49 and 18-to-34 demos on Sunday nights, the 90 Day Fianc franchise is so popular that TLC is the No. 2 network on all of television (behind only CBS).

In You, Me & My Ex, five couples (and a lingering ex) navigate complicated love triangles are redefining the rules and offer a different look at relationships, according to the logline.

Story continues

With So Freakin Cheap, four frugal families save money by dumpster diving, getting things for free, and planning weddings on the cheap. These families will stop at nothing to spend nothing!

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Caribbean-Themed 90 Day Fianc Spinoff Among Summer Slate Coming to Discovery Plus and TLC (EXCLUSIVE) - Yahoo Entertainment

Every cruise line does things just a little bit different from the rest, but there are at least a few industry-wide trends that Royal Caribbean simply does not do across the board.

Part of making each cruise band stand out is adopting certain policies, incorporating a vision, and providing passengers with something that appeals to their base. Royal Caribbean is no different, and has made a name for itself by offering a cruise vacation with its own flavor of offerings.

Some new cruisers, as well as people new to Royal Caribbean, may be surprised by some of the things Royal Caribbean does not do, which are found on other cruise lines. There are any number of reasons why Royal Caribbean has not followed other lines with these trends, but when comparing lines, some of these omissions may stand out.

Here are the top five cruise industry trends I have noticed Royal Caribbean does not do, as well as one that they recently changed their minds about.

One of the hottest trends in cruises is the "ship within a ship" concept, which takes the suite level offerings to a new height.

Traditionally, passengers in suites enjoyed their luxurious amenities in their cabin, as well as a few perks sprinkled around the ship, such as a suite lounge, reserved seating and more.

A number of main stream lines, including Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), MSC Cruises, and Celebrity Cruises, have all adopted a new take on the suite life by dedicating entire sections of the ship exclusively to their top tier suite guests.

The idea is to give suite guests not just perks, but exclusive areas for them, including their own pool decks, restaurants, and concierge services. Think of it like a mega velvet roped off area.

While Royal Caribbean has done more to offer its suite guests upgraded amenities for suite guests in recent years (Royal Suite Class), their ships lack a true "ship within a ship" offering that you find on some competitors.

Spectrum of the Seas does offer the closest thing to a ship within a ship concept, but that ship is heavily focused on the Chinese cruise market and sister ship Odyssey of the Seas did not retain that feature.

Read more:What is Star Class?

While a lot of people may think of cruises as sort of all-inclusive, they really are not, and Royal Caribbean purposefully leaves a lot of extra costs and options from the base cruise fare.

To be fair, main stream mass market cruise lines generally shy away from all-inclusive fares, but a number of cruise lines are starting to move in that direction in an effort to make pricing simpler for the guest.

Celebrity Cruises recently changed their pricing model to now include things like gratuities, wi-fi, drink packages and more. Likewise, Holland America Line also shifted to include shore excursions, beverages, WiFi and more.

Traditionally, Royal Caribbean's promotions tend to favor giving guests a discount on the cruise fare, and then allowing guests to add-on things like a drink package or wifi if they want it.

Cruise lines like Holland America or Celebrity are considered to be a premium cruise line, whereas Royal Caribbean is a contemporary line. This means pricing and what is included traditionally differs to begin with.

That being said, cruise fares for certain countries include more in their base fare than in North America. In the UK, drink packages and gratuities are often included with the cruise fare (albeit at a higher price).

Read more:Could Royal Caribbean follow Celebrity Cruises move to all-inclusive pricing?

A new trend many cruise lines are adding to their new cruise ships is an onboard brewery.

NCL recently developed their own brewery in partnership withMiami-based Wynwood Brewing Company by developing District Brew House.

Onboard the NCL Bliss and Escape, you will find24 rotating beers on tap, in addition to a wide variety of bottled beer, and even exclusive brews for NCL.

Carnival offers the RedFrog Pub, and even has its ownprivate-label draft beer: ThirstyFrog Red.

The Carnival Vista has an actual working brewery onboard, and the Carnival Horizon has a combinationGuy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse & Brewhouse.

Royal Caribbean has not gone in that direction quite yet. At one time, they partnered with Chef Michael Schwartz to offer Michael's Genuine Pub on its Quantum Class ships, but their beers were all bottled and was more bar than brewery.

Partnering with a well-known children brand is a cruise industry trend that Royal Caribbean used to do, but went away from.

Carnival has a partnership withDr. Seuss and offers kids programming onboard that includesa special onboard character parade, interactive story time, arts & crafts activities, character breakfast featuring their favorite Dr. Seuss friends and more.

MSC Cruises partners with LEGO, which include larger LEGO play areas, building contests, video games and more.

Royal Caribbean has a partnership with Dreamworks Entertainment for many years, but ended the brand partnership in 2019 in order to focus on offering its own take on what kids could do onboard.

Royal Caribbean said the decision was made as part of its regular process of reviewing and refreshing their onboard offerings.

Read more:Cruising with kids on Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean at one time dipped their toe into the celebrity chef pool, but they have generally shied away from this hot trend in cruises.

Specialty restaurants are very popular with passengers, and some lines have sought celebrities to make their offering stand out.

Carnival's new Mardi Gras will have Shaq's Big Chicken restaurant to capitalize on American's love affair with the fast-food chicken sandwich.Emeril Lagasse will also have a restaurant on the Mardi Gras.

Carnival also has a partnership with Guy Fieri, which serves upGuy's Burger Joint. MSC Cruises partnered withRoy Yamaguchi to bringAsian Market Kitchen to MSC Seaside.

Royal Caribbean still has a partnership with Jamie Oliver to offer Jamie's Italian on its ships, but the newest ships in the fleet and most recent refurbishments have focused on revamping its in-house Italian specialty restaurant Giovanni's Table.

Other celebrity chef partnerships on Quantum and Anthem of the Seas have since ended.

Strangely, Royal Caribbean did not have giant water slides on its ships for many years, while Carnival, Norwegian and just about every cruise line included waterslides on their ships.

We may never know why Royal Caribbean resisted adding waterslides onboard, but it was a noticeable omission among families. Sure, the Radiance Class had one kiddy slide, but compared to the other ships, it was a lacking feature.

A few years ago, Royal Caribbean decided to change that and begin adding waterslides to its existing ships, and incorporating them into the designs of new ships.

Today, Royal Caribbean offers a few different water slides on its cruise ships, and most of its larger ships have at least a couple slides to enjoy.

Read more:Which Royal Caribbean ships have water slides?

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5 cruise trends Royal Caribbean doesn't do (and 1 it jumped on) - Royal Caribbean Blog

Actor Tom Hiddleston, best known for playing Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in an interview recalled when he auditioned for the role of Will Turner in the 2003 Pirates of the Caribbean Film.

Early off in Toms Career, he would have been about 21 Years Old at the time, Tom called his agent to audition for the role and he received a partly written script the night before the audition. That same evening his friend finished his exams and the two went out drinking.

Hiddleston said:

my agent called Youve got this audition tomorrow, ten oclock. And it was five in the evening, and I was like Ah man, whats it for? and he went Its this Disney film, its a big American franchise, its about ships and storms and stuffand youre playing the lead.

Tom was relatively new to the film industry, and since he was a London Based Actor he didnt quite grasp the scale of the Hollywood Based Production. Tom went on to say that he read the script for a couple of hours, and later met up with his friends where they drank heavily.

The next day came the audition, and here is how he said it went:

The next day I walked in at ten oclock, very hungover, hadnt learnt it and did itwe did it a couple of times and the casting director was like uh huh, okay, okay, well thanks for coming in

She said Why havent you learnt it? Why didnt you learn it? .I mean this is going to be huge.

He stated that his only excuse was that he had only received it the night before, which in this industry is not much of an excuse. The Casting Director told him to Learn it next time and to Make more of an effort. He later laughed and said he learned from that experience.

It would have been an interesting experience seeing the Legendary Will Turner played by the, at the time, upcoming actor, but instead the role was given to Orlando Bloom. Bloom of course was well known for his role as Legolas, in the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Though Tom wasnt able to break into Disney through the Pirates films, he later was able to though the Marvel Universe playing Anti-Hero Loki.

Sources: Inside the Magic

Featured Image: Wikipedia

Pirates & Princesses (PNP) is an independent, opinionated fan-powered news blog that covers Disney and Universal Theme Parks, Themed Entertainment and related Pop Culture from a consumer's point of view. Opinions expressed by our contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of PNP, its editors, affiliates, sponsors or advertisers. PNP is an unofficial news source and has no connection to The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal or any other company that we may cover.

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Tom Hiddleston Recalls his Pirates of the Caribbean Audition - Pirates and Princesses

Boris Johnson is under investigation over who paid for his Caribbean holiday with his fiancee, Carrie Symonds, during Christmas 2019.

The parliamentary standards commissioner, Kathryn Stone, confirmed on Monday morning that she was investigating a possible breach of the MPs code of conduct.

It is the latest allegation of impropriety faced by the prime minister, as the Electoral Commission continues its inquiry into the Conservative party over claims that a loan to cover works to Johnson and Symonds Downing Street flat was not properly declared.

The sleaze attacks deployed against the prime minister in the run-up to last weeks local elections seem not to have substantially damaged his reputation among voters, given the gains made by the Tories in the Hartlepool byelection and councils across England.

But some Conservatives are privately dismayed the party is being more opaque than they think it should be on issues of funding and declarations.

The investigation into Johnsons holiday comes after he took a trip to Mustique to celebrate new year at the start of 2020. The Daily Mail reported Johnson spent 10 days on a luxury villa break worth 15,000 provided courtesy of the Carphone Warehouse founder and Conservative donor David Ross.

Johnson did record a benefit in kind from Ross worth 15,000 for accommodation for a private holiday for my partner and me in St Vincent and the Grenadines from 26 December 2019 to 5 January 2020. It was submitted to the register of members interests on 27 January 2020.

Questions were raised when the Daily Mail said a spokesperson for Ross initially said he had not paid for the trip and described the claim as a mistake, before backtracking and saying he had facilitated the trip.

The standards commissioner said the section of the MPs code of conduct it was looking at in relation to allegations of impropriety said that: Members shall fulfil conscientiously the requirements of the house in respect of the registration of interests in the register of members financial interests. They shall always be open and frank in drawing attention to any relevant interest in any proceeding of the house or its committees, and in any communications with ministers, members, public officials or public office holders.

The commissioner said the matter under investigation was registration of interest under category 4 of the guide to the rules [visits outside the UK] in 2020.

Following the announcement of an investigation, a spokesperson for Ross said: Mr Ross facilitated accommodation for Mr Johnson on Mustique valued at 15,000. Therefore this is a benefit in kind from Mr Ross to Mr Johnson, and Mr Johnsons declaration to the House of Commons is correct.

Angela Rayner, Labours deputy leader, said: The public have a right to know who paid for Boris Johnsons luxury Caribbean holiday and the renovation of his flat. Most importantly, we need to know what these donors were promised or expected in return for their generosity.

As we have seen over the last year, Tory donors have received a very high return on their investment in the form of government contracts. Boris Johnson needs to stop using the office of prime minister as an opportunity to fund his lavish lifestyle and enrich his mates.

Downing Street said Johnson had transparently declared his break and declared the benefit in kind in the Commons register of interests.

Asked if the government believed the public think the rules matter, the No 10 spokesperson said: Clearly the rules are set out and its important that everyone abides by them, as the prime minister has done throughout.

It also emerged on Monday that the standards commissioner was refusing to launch an investigation into Johnsons Downing Street flat payments due to the existing probe by the Electoral Commission.

In a letter sent to Labour MP Margaret Hodge and seen by the Guardian, Stone said she had made no decision about whether to investigate Johnsons actions in his capacity as an MP and would await the Electoral Commissions report to avoid potentially prejudicing its own findings.

Hodge, who was a tough scrutiniser in her former role as chair of the public accounts committee, told the Guardian that while she had a great deal of respect for Stone, she had enormous concerns that we are tiptoeing around the problem, raising concerns about how long the Electoral Commissions inquiries could drag on.

She added: With an investigation into the Conservative partys dealings under way and the Cabinet Office looking into the matter too, it is high time that the prime minister was investigated. This issue will not go away. Until there is a proper investigation, suspicions about the integrity and honesty of our prime minister will rumble on.

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Boris Johnson being investigated over Caribbean holiday - The Guardian

Key Updates

The problem of refugees and migrants coming from Asia, Africa and the Caribbean being left stranded in the region is increasing, as a result of extended border closures amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In January, there were between 680 and 1,000 extra-regional refugees and migrants - predominantly from Haiti, followed by Cuba and several African countries - stranded in Necocl, a Colombian town near the border with Panama. In February, 1,500 people on the move were blocked in camps throughout Panama. At the same time, approximately 600 people on the move, mostly Haitians, were stranded at the Brazil-Peru border, while trying to migrate north toward or returning home.

More and more countries in the region are militarizing their borders. Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru are the latest countries to militarize their borders aiming to prevent irregular migration. Peru deployed 1,200 troops to the border, followed by Ecuador with 200 troops on January 27th. Mexico, that had started militarizing its southern border in January, increased the presence of National Guard troops to 8,715 officers as of March 22nd.

Onward migration in the region is on the rise. Haitian refugees and migrants who had previously settled in Brazil have been leaving the country due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.Additionally, faced with long processing times for asylum and immigration proceedings in Mexico and changes in the U.S. immigration policy, many asylum seekers in Mexico have also changed their destination and decided to head toward the U.S.

Sharp increase in the arrival of unaccompanied and separated children at the U.S. border. Between January and March, 34,173 children on the move were apprehended at the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Only 30 of them were expelled, while the remaining were allowed entry, in line with the new U.S. administrations position on the protection of refugee and migrant children.

Colombia and the U.S. announce strategies to regularize Venezuelans in their territory. Colombia is set to grant temporary protected status to approximately 2.5 million Venezuelans and the U.S. to about 300,000 Venezuelans.

During the first quarter of 2021, two migrant caravans departed from San Pedro Sula, Honduras.The first caravan departed in January and registered between 8,000 and 9,000 refugees and migrants.On March 31st, a caravan with around 400 people on the move including a considerable number of unaccompanied children - departed Honduras. Both caravans encountered Guatemalan military forces at the border upon entry, preventing their passage.

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Quarterly Mixed Migration Update Latin America and the Caribbean, Quarter 1, 2021 - World - ReliefWeb