Carnival Cruise Line may offer family-friendly vacations, but like many parents across the globe, the company is now setting a curfew for all kids and teens.

According to Travel+Leisure, the new curfew policy states that all minors 17-year-old and younger must be out of public areas after 1 a.m.
“Everyone has a better time when children are supervised, and this guideline is consistent with our commitment to safety,” a Carnival spokesperson told T+L.

Like most rules, there are some exceptions. An adult accompanies minors in their traveling party who are at least 21 years old; they will stay out past the 1 a.m. curfew. Young passengers participating in Club O2 or Circle “C” teen activity will also be exempt from this policy. Club O2 is open to kids 15 to 17, while Circle “C” is open to kids 12 to 14.

This curfew is not the only rule that Carnival has in place to ensure that, hopefully) responsible adults supervise younger passengers are supervised by). For years, the cruise line has required all guests under 21 to travel with a relative or guardian who is at least 25 years old.
For parents looking to enjoy an evening without their children or party late into the night at one of the onboard nightclubs, Carnival offers a “Night Owls” program for children six months to 11 years old from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Overall, Carnival Cruise Line has always been very kid friendly and offers several amenities for families and their young ones. That includes onboard activities like mini golf, roller coasters, water slides, kids’ clubs, kid-friendly food, and flexible bed configurations in staterooms.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is changing how airlines treat their customers, including increasing passenger rights to a refund when they face canceled or extremely delayed flights.

The DOT already requires airlines to offer refunds if they cancel flights for any reason, but airlines keep their policies a bit more vague—and sometimes downright confusing—for refunds for delays. This often means passengers are uninformed about their rights and end up leaving money on the table, money that is rightfully theirs.

To combat this issue, the DOT is creating a new interactive dashboard that will provide “easy-to-read, comparative summary information on the services or amenities that each of the large U.S. airlines provided. When the cause of a cancelation or delay was because of circumstances within the airline’s control,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a letter sent to all U.S. airlines on Aug. 18.

We expect the new dashboard to go live on the department’s Aviation Consumer Protection site.
“When passengers experience cancellations and delays, they deserve clear and transparent information on the services that your airline will provide, to address the expenses and inconveniences resulting from these disruptions,” Secretary Buttigieg wrote.

This move from the DOT comes after a tumultuous year for air travel, particularly this summer, which saw thousands of delays and cancellations weekly. According to Secretary Buttigieg, nearly a quarter of domestic flights were delayed. And over 3% of domestic flights were canceled; during the first six months of 2022.

The DOT is now considering setting clear rules and standards for all airlines to follow when requiring refunds for passengers experiencing delays or flight cancelations. The department currently has an open forum where travelers can comment on what they think the DOT should do. The department is also seeking public comments as it aims to potentially regulate the continuously shrinking size of airplane seats.

Royal Caribbean is officially among the growing list of cruise lines that plans to drop their COVID-19 vaccine requirement starting in September. The change in rules, however, is not as straightforward as it seems.
Effective Sept. 5, the cruise line, which is the largest in the world, will no longer require COVID-19 vaccines for adults sailing on specific itineraries.
Passengers departing from California, Louisiana, Texas, and all European ports will no longer have to show proof of vaccination to board. Vaccine cards will still be required for most passengers sailing from other U.S. states, including Florida, which is home to several major hubs for Royal Caribbean.

Travelers should still double-check requirements not only for their specific sailing but also for the ports where the ship will stop, as there are several caveats to dropping the vaccine requirement.
Passengers sailing from Europe will need to be “up to date” on the COVID-19 vaccine series by European standards (this could mean a required booster sometimes) or take a COVI-19 test on board if they want to disembark in Greece and Spain.

Sailings from Texas and Louisiana also have similar exemptions. Grand Cayman, a common stop for ships departing from those states, requires cruise passengers to show proof of vaccination.
Royal Caribbean hopes to make a universal vaccine policy in the future, but for now, local rules and COVID restrictions have made it impossible, especially in places like the Caribbean.

“We are collaborating with local governments throughout the Caribbean to align on vaccination requirements for additional itineraries,” Royal Caribbean said in the statement. “It’s important that all of our guests enjoy their experience at any destination while also meeting local measures.”

Other recently announced plans to drop their vaccine requirement include Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Oceania Cruises, and Celebrity Cruises.