Things To Do In SW Florida

MIAMI BEACH — The COVID pandemic drove the cruise industry to a standstill, but numbers released Tuesday signal the years of comeback are officially over with more expansion on tap.

More than 31.7 million passengers took cruises worldwide in 2023, said Kelly Craighead, Cruise Line International Association president and CEO, speaking at the annual Seatrade Cruise Global conference at Miami Beach Convention Center.

CLIA is the lobbying group for member cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, Carnival, Norwegian, MSC and most other major brands.

The pandemic shut down sailing from March 2020 with only a small number of ships coming back online 18 months later in summer 2021. Cruise lines didn’t return to full strength until partially through 2022, so it wasn’t until a full year of sailing in 2023 that the industry could get a real handle on just what the demand had grown to as people returned to vacation travel.

“We are an industry that’s resilient and thriving all around the world, breaking records in ways we might never have imagined,” she said. read more

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service signaled plans Tuesday for a rate increase that includes hiking the cost of a first-class stamp from 68 cents to 73 cents, part of an overall 7.8% increase to take effect this summer.

The request was made to the Postal Regulatory Commission, which must approve the proposed increase that the Postal Service contends is necessary to achieve financial stability. If approved, the 5-cent increase for a “forever” stamp and similar increases for postcards, metered letters and international mail would take effect July 14.

U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy previously warned postal customers to get used to “uncomfortable” rate hikes as the Postal Service seeks to become self-sufficient. He said price increases were overdue after “at least 10 years of a defective pricing model.”

In its filing, the Postal Service said it’s also seeking price adjustments on special services such as money order fees and certified mail. But there will be no price increase for post office box rentals, and postal insurance will be reduced by 10% when items are mailed, the postal service said. read more

Walt Disney World is changing how it handles a program that shortens wait times for theme park visitors with autism or similar developmental disabilities.

The adjustment affects the disability access service card, also known as DAS, which has gained popularity in recent years but has been misused.

As of May 20, Disney World visitors may request DAS at guest services outlets after which they will be connected to a cast member via virtual chat to determine their eligibility. Disney is teaming with Inspire Health Alliance, an outside company, for training and carrying out the new policy.

This process could guide visitors to other Disney services at the theme parks aligned for individual needs. Requesting DAS can be done before traveling to Disney World.

Some people with autism or similar disabilities cannot endure waiting in lines for extended periods.

Inappropriate use of DAS forced Disney to clamp down, said Len Testa, who runs Touring Plans, a vacation-planning site. He also studies lines at theme parks. read more

Anna Claire Vollers | (TNS) Stateline.org

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — About a year ago, veterinarian Melissa Ezell started noticing subtle changes at the midsized animal clinic in Huntsville, Alabama, where she works.

She said she and other vets were feeling pressure from management to make a certain amount of money from every appointment. If a pet owner wasn’t going to spend enough, the message from management was to offer more services. She was urged to pack in more patients outside of normal business hours.

“Before, I never felt any pressure to be making a certain amount of money in a day,” Ezell, who started working at the clinic in 2021, told Stateline. “It was just, ‘Fill your schedule, practice good medicine, everything else will come.’”

The clinic is owned by National Veterinary Associates, one of the largest veterinary chains in the nation. In 2020 the company was acquired by JAB Consumer Partners, a global private equity firm based in Luxembourg. By early 2023, Ezell said, she felt a shift in atmosphere at the clinic and a greater focus on increasing profits. read more

Patrick Blennerhassett | (TNS) Las Vegas Review-Journal

LAS VEGAS — Bruce Hiatt is hoping the integration of artificial intelligence will help take his real estate company to the next level, and in turn, could require fewer in-person agents in the process.

Hiatt, a Las Vegas-based broker who is also the owner of Luxury Realty Group, is currently beta testing an AI conversational avatar that speaks with potential homebuyers and learns from those interactions. Hiatt said they are scheduled to launch the technology in 22 U.S. cities and three in Canada as part of the rollout at the start of June. The goal is to have about 24 agents in each city.

The idea behind using AI is to aid in the homebuying search via software that can learn potential homebuyers’ names along with preferences of what they are looking for in a home. Hiatt is partnering with India-based chatbox builder Kore.ai on the technology. The company received $150 million in a new funding round, including an investment from chipmaker Nvidia. read more