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Vacation Planning 101

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Carnival Has New Dress Code

                          Carnival Cruise lines is banning "offensive" clothing from its ships.

The new dress code was implemented in December, per a Facebook post by Carnival brand ambassador John Herald. He noted the cruise line's FAQ section had been updated to reflect that "items worn during the cruise should not contain any message that may be considered offensive or contain nudity, profanity, sexual innuendo/suggestions. In addition, clothing/accessories should not promote negative ethnic or racial commentary, or hatred or violence in any form."

The cruise line added; "all guests are expected to ensure their clothing and accessories are respectful to fellow guests."

Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen told CNN that while Carnival didn't want to become "the clothing or expression police" the company felt it was necessary to change the dress code after reports of people in other travel sectors wearing things with "very threatening messages."

Gulliksen told CruiseCritic that clothing will be evaluated on a "case by case basis" and people who violate the policy will be asked to change.

             What do YOU think of this new policy and is it necessary?

Hump Day

Puerto Rico Takes Another Hit

ABC News reports:

SAN JUAN -- More than 2,000 people in shelters. Nearly one million without power. Hundreds of thousands without water.

The aftermath of a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that killed one person, injured nine others and severely damaged infrastructure in Puerto Rico’s southwest coast is deepening as the island’s government says it is overwhelmed.

Many in the affected area are comparing the situation to Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm that hit in September 2017, as hundreds of families who are unable to return to their damaged homes wonder where they’ll stay in upcoming weeks and months as hope fades of electricity being restored soon.

“We have to remain outside because everything inside is destroyed,” said 84-year-old Brunilda Sánchez, who has been sleeping outdoors in a government-supplied cot in the southwest coastal town of Guánica. “We don’t know how long we’ll have to stay here.”

U.S. President Donald Trump declared an emergency in Puerto Rico several hours after Tuesday’s quake hit, a move that frees up federal funds via the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency for things ranging from transportation to medical care to mobile generators. But some local officials worry the help won’t arrive soon enough.

“FEMA is a very bureaucratic agency and it moves very slowly. So slowly that we're still waiting for federal funds from Maria,” Daniel Hernández, director of generation for Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority, told The Associated Press.

Airlines cap prices following complaints. Read more HERE

The Best Seat in the House...

...or on the plane for that matter, is the one chosen wisely.

Much has been written about finding the cheapest seat on a flight, but what seat is right for you? In addition to being satisfied with the amount you spend on a flight you should want to make sure you're equally satisfied, if not more so, with the seat itself. After all, your comfort will make the biggest difference in attitude once you land at your destination.

Many travelers prefer a window seat because of the view. Just remember though, if you have a long flight with much of it after dark you may opt for a different seat. However, day or night, if you are the traveler that sleeps during most of the flight then a window seat is perfect for you. You will be uninterrupted by your neighbors stepping over you to go to the restroom. AND you can use the wall of the cabin to lie your head against as you sleep.

Sitting in the rear of the plane is attractive to travelers who like to board first (after first class & VIP) and make sure they aren't climbed over as others board. There is also more of a chance there is room to store your bags overhead if a flight is crowded. But if you're not carrying multiple bags, or in case you have limited time to catch a connecting flight, you may consider up front seating. These are the first to de-plane at the end of the flight. Also, food service usually begins in the front, meaning you're more likely to get your choice of meal on crowded flights.

Remember, all aircraft are not created equally, even within the same airline. If you're able to select a seat ahead of time you can go to seatguru.com and input your flight details and get an exact layout of the plane you're flying on. It provides color coded seat maps and tells you what to avoid.

Happy travels!

Dos Amigos

from the old LFC collection