Things To Do In SW Florida

Jennifer Silva, 30, had worked in the service industry since 2015. All kinds of restaurants: mom-and-pop, corporate and everything in between. And she was done.

Competition with her teammates and toxic tension with back-of-house staffers were among the issues weighing on her — not to mention wage instability.

“I’d had one too many six-hour shifts where I’d send people home, wanting to grab all the tables only to end up closing by myself and leaving with maybe $50.”

Then came Kaya. Silva is the lead server at this rising star.

Orlando’s Michelin galaxy expands with four new stars

Yes, Kaya was named Restaurant of the Year in the 2024 Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards. They are a finalist for Best New Restaurant in the James Beard Foundation Awards. Last week, they were awarded a Green Star by the Michelin Guide for their sustainable practices. But despite the raves, the house hasn’t always been full.

“The road was closed for 10 months!” jokes co-owner Jamilyn Salonga-Bailey of ongoing construction in their Mills 50 neighborhood. Despite her good humor, things were truly precarious. And yet Kaya, unlike many restaurants in town, is fully staffed with an ample stack of resumes on file. read more

The luxury pedigree that Regent Seven Seas welcomed with Seven Seas Explorer in 2016 continued with sister ship Seven Seas Splendor in 2020, but the third and final sister Seven Seas Grandeur offers up the best of class.

The ship’s features include the first Fabergé egg with a permanent home at sea. The blue-pearl-and-diamond sculpture titled “Journey in Jewels” is a small but commanding centerpiece rotating within its display case in the atrium for travelers to enjoy as soon as they step on board.

The egg is revealed as seven branches break away like waves that represent the Seven Seas. The ship’s godmother is Sarah Fabergé, the great-granddaughter of Peter Carl Fabergé.

It’s part of a 1,600-piece art collection that includes classic black-and-white photos from global destinations adorning the hallways between cabins to the steakhouse’s original Picassos. Travelers could spend a good afternoon wandering hallways and public spaces, akin to visiting a museum. A new app for the line also offers a digital art tour, like a personal guide. read more

By Sally French | NerdWallet

At the airport, long lines for check-in, security screenings and even getting food can feel like a giant waste of time — and potentially disrupt even the most meticulously planned itinerary.

But with planning, you can skip some of the most annoying lines, and in some cases, get reimbursed if the line-skipping privilege requires an application fee. Here are five common airport bottlenecks and how to avoid them for free or cheap.

1. Check in

It is the year 2024, which means there’s a mobile version of all sorts of travel services. That includes the ability to check in to your flight without standing in line at the airline counter.

Most airlines allow you to check in for your flight directly through their mobile app or website within 24 hours of departure, allowing you to bypass the desk and proceed directly to security if you are flying with only carry-on luggage.

Even if you plan to check bags, checking in online via the airline app or website can help speed up the process so all you will have to do at the airport is print the bag tags at a kiosk and then hand the luggage off at the bag drop. read more

Julie Appleby | (TNS) KFF Health News

Tax season is never fun. But some tax filers this year face an added complication: Their returns are being rejected because they failed to provide information about Affordable Care Act coverage they didn’t even know they had.

While the concern about unscrupulous brokers enrolling unsuspecting people in ACA coverage has simmered for years, complaints have risen in recent months as consumers discover their health insurance coverage isn’t what they thought it was.

Now such unauthorized enrollments are also causing tax headaches. Returns are getting rejected by the IRS and some people will have to pay more in taxes.

“It’s definitely gotten worse over the past year. We’ve helped three to four dozen people this year already,” said Erin Kinard, director of systems and intake for the Health and Economic Opportunity Program at Pisgah Legal Services in North Carolina, which helps low-income families enroll in ACA plans and get tax help.

Neither the IRS nor the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which oversees the federal Obamacare marketplace, responded to questions about the problem. read more

Carnival Cruise Line has revamped its Carnival Glory cruise ship with new features before it heads to its new home at Port Canaveral.

The 110,000-gross-ton ship is taking on three- and four-night Bahamas sailings from the port, joining three other Carnival ships. Built in 2003, the ship has a 2,980-guest passenger capacity based on double occupancy.

It recently came out of a 21-day dry dock at the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, Spain, receiving some enhancements found on other Carnival ships.

Changes include a new casino layout, including a nonsmoking area, and a Heroes Tribute Bar & Lounge that pays deference to military veterans and active-duty service members, taking over the SkyBox Sports Bar. Also added were a Dreams Photography Studio and upgrades within the spa.

When it debuted more than 20 years ago, Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, was named its godmother. Its space-themed pedigree extends to enhancements added to the youth area Camp Ocean, which now has a large video wall for its Space Cruisers program. Its curriculum was developed in partnership with Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Also updated is the video arcade and redubbed The Warehouse. read more