Things To Do In SW Florida

Carnival Cruise Line made a splash with the debut of Excel-class ship Mardi Gras out of Port Canaveral in 2021 and has since followed up with sister ships Carnival Celebration from Miami in 2022 and the new Carnival Jubilee sailing out of Galveston, Texas.

Now the three sister ships will get a fourth sibling, as Carnival Corp. announced Tuesday it has ordered construction of a new ship from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, for a debut in spring 2027.

It’s actually the 10th Excel-class ship across Carnival’s brands that also includes the new Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess set to debut this year and begin sailing from Port Everglades this fall.

The class of ships run on liquefied natural gas, a cleaner burning fuel that’s part of cruise lines’ efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Mardi Gras became the first LNG-powered cruise ship to homeport in North America when it began sailing from Port Canaveral on July 31, 2021.

Disney Cruise Line’s new ship Disney Wish followed soon after along with Celebration out of Miami and Royal Caribbean’s new Icon of the Seas. read more

Ted Rossman | (TNS) Bankrate.com

“You bought what? And it cost how much?”

Be honest: Have you ever been called out by your spouse for spending too much? Or maybe you’ve been the one to bristle at a fresh batch of shopping bags brought home by your better half?

Bankrate’s latest financial infidelity survey revealed that 30 percent of U.S. adults who are married or living with a romantic partner have spent more than their spouse/partner would be okay with. That makes secret spending the most common form of financial infidelity, a broader category that also includes secret debt (23 percent), secret savings accounts (19 percent), secret credit cards (18 percent) and secret checking accounts (17 percent).

The most common explanation among those who have committed financial infidelity is “privacy/a desire to control my own finances.” But even this well-intentioned explanation can drive a wedge into relationships, making it important to find a way to maintain some financial independence, while also working toward shared financial goals. The “yours, mine and ours” approach could be the answer. read more

By AMY TAXIN (Associated Press)

Workers who help bring Disneyland’s beloved characters to life — including Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Cinderella — are looking to unionize.

Labor organizers announced the campaign Tuesday, saying performers want better safety conditions and scheduling policies to help them keep the magic alive for visitors.

While most of the more than 35,000 workers at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California already have labor unions, about 1,700 performers in parades, character actors and support staff do not.

“This isn’t one of those situations where we’re out making the employer the bad guy,” said Kate Shindle, president of Actors’ Equity Association, which would represent the performers. “It is uniquely important Disney remains a place that people view as magical, and I think that (unionizing) will improve that across the board.”

Union membership has been on a decades-long decline in the United States, but organizations have seen growing public support in recent years amid high-profile contract negotiations involving Hollywood studios and Las Vegas hotels. The National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that protects workers’ right to organize, reported more than 2,500 filings for union representation during the 2023 fiscal year, the highest number in eight years. read more

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open at Magic Kingdom sometime this summer, Walt Disney World announced Tuesday morning.  The company also revealed a first look at an animatronic for the title character.

The ride is replacement for and a remodeling of Splash Mountain, which closed in January 2023.

The new attraction will feature dozens of new animatronic figures, including ones for Tiana, Naveen, Louis, Mama Odie, Prince Ralphie and others, Disney says. In a video released Tuesday, Imagineer Charita Carter showed off the Tiana animatronic in action backstage.  The standing figure waved her arms and turned at the hips; there was no audio. The figure is dressed in pants, part of a previously announced adventure costume.

Originally, Disney said Tiana’s Bayou Adventure would debut in late 2024.  Disneyland also is getting the Tiana ride; an opening season was not announced for California on Tuesday but there remained reference to “later in 2024.”

The ride’s dramatic drop/photo op, visible from dry ground, has been retained. read more

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings branded it a “conflict” for the county’s own lobbyist to draft a bill restricting its ability to cut the funding of the Visit Orlando tourism agency, and said there may be consequences for the advocate’s secretive actions.

In a heated reaction to revelations published Sunday in the Orlando Sentinel, Demings said lobbyist Chris Carmody’s actions could lead the county to sever its relationship with his employer, GrayRobinson, and may trigger a Florida Bar complaint.

“Whether we get there or not, we’ll certainly explore it,” said Demings, who shared his ire in a lengthy conversation Sunday with the Sentinel. “That may be the consequence of all this.”

The Sentinel’s story showed that Senate Bill 1594 — filed last month by Orlando Democrat Linda Stewart at a time county commissioners were eyeing cuts to Visit Orlando’s $100 million county subsidy — was actually written by Carmody, not the lawmaker. The bill would have required a supermajority of five of the seven commissioners to make such cuts. read more