Things To Do In SW Florida

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street drifted through a quiet day of trading on Monday, ahead of economic reports this week that could drive where interest rates go.

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The S&P 500 slipped 0.2%, though the majority of stocks within the index rose. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 41 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.6%.

Helping to keep indexes in check were stocks in the artificial-intelligence industry, which were mixed following last week’s scary swings.

Nvidia, the chip company that’s become the face of the AI boom, added 0.7%. It was one of the strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500 after dropping 4.1% last week. read more

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Cadillac is returning as the title sponsor of a lucrative PGA Tour event held at Trump National Doral, which will hold one of the $20 million signature events in 2026.

The Cadillac Championship will be held the first weekend in May on the course once dubbed the “Blue Monster.” Doral first became part of the PGA Tour schedule in 1962, and it was held each year through 2016 until becoming a World Golf Championship under various names.

Brian Rolapp, the CEO of the PGA Tour, referred to Trump National Doral as a “legacy venue on our schedule.”

“We appreciate the support of Cadillac as we bring a new era of the PGA Tour to our fans in Miami,” Rolapp said in a statement.

Cadillac was the title sponsor of the WGC at Trump National Doral from 2011 through 2016. But the automaker chose not to renew its contract, the PGA Tour could not find a replacement sponsor for Doral in 2016 when President Donald Trump was the presumptive Republican nominee and the WGC event was moved to Mexico City. read more

In flash and glitz, 2025 has shaped up as a superlative year for Broward County’s Port Everglades, where U.S. Navy warships visited for “Fleet Week,” new cruise ships from Disney, Celebrity and Princess started calling, and nearby, a new 801-room Omni Hotel stood poised to open, with the cruise lines inquiring about how many room blocks they can book.

Last week, Joseph Morris, the CEO and port director, took a look at the fiscal year’s traffic numbers and for the first time found record volumes for all three of the port’s main lines of business: cruise lines, cargo and energy.

“For all three of our big three to have new records is something that has never happened,” he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The trio contributes up to 83% of the port’s revenues.

“The trifecta of record-breaking accomplishments reflects the strength of our partnerships and the resilience of our business lines,” Morris said.  “The port’s diversified portfolio positions us to adapt, compete and lead as global and regional markets evolve.” read more

SpaceX managed to find a lull in the winds early Monday, but a second SpaceX launch as well as one from United Launch Alliance opted to wait at least a day before trying to add to the Space Coast’s rocket mission total.

The one that did go up though was SpaceX’s 100th launch from Florida this year.

A Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-82 mission with 29 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:25 a.m.

This was the ninth flight of the first-stage booster, which made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic.

Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron had forecast only a 30% chance for good conditions at the launch site in addition to low-to-moderate concerns for the booster recovery weather.

The poor conditions came from a cold front approaching the region Sunday afternoon with a surge of of northerly winds on Sunday evening that were forecast to worsen overnight.

ULA had been lined up to fly next early Monday, but is now pushing to early Tuesday. SpaceX later opted to push a second Falcon 9 launch it had planned for later Monday morning to Tuesday as well. read more

Port Canaveral has been singled out as the best North American homeport and Virgin Voyages has been named the best cruise line by Cruise Critic’s 2025 Best in Cruise Awards.

The Celebrity Xcel was recognized as the best new ship and the Oceania Allura was chosen as the best new luxury ship in the 17th annual awards. Margaritaville at Sea took the top spot in the cruisers’ choice ranking for the best ocean line.

With more passenger demand than ever, cruise lines are all racing to compete for customers with new ships coming online every year, plus top-tier onboard experiences, service and dining. With so many options to choose from, it can be hard to figure out the best cruise line to book, but this ranking helps customers find a trip that’s most suitable for them.

The awards are chosen by combining the experience of Cruise Critic staff members with reviews of real travelers.

Here are the takeaways from Cruise Critic’s Best in Cruise Awards.

Best Cruise Line

Virgin Voyages, named the best cruise line for ocean voyages, increased its Florida-based footprint this year by bringing its fourth ship, the Brilliant Lady, to Miami for the winter sailing season. Since 2021, Virgin has been challenging the norms of the cruise industry, and that bet seems to be paying off. read more