11 Things You Won’t Be Able to Do on Cruises Anymore


Meghan JonesUpdated: Sep. 28, 2020

As cruises do their utmost to avoid a repeat of early 2020, the world of cruising will look quite a bit different as ships set sail again.

Get on board with these changes

Before lockdowns became a reality in the United States, cruise ships provided a disturbing preview of what was to come. From the 14-day quarantine of thousands of people on the virus-stricken Diamond Princess ship in February to harrowing stories of cruise ship workers confined to their tiny cabins for months, these news bytes left people wondering if, or perhaps why, anyone would ever take a cruise again. In April, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a “no-sail order,” which they then extended in mid-July. This order didn’t actually provide a fixed date that cruises had to be docked until; it just prohibited cruises from sailing until they met certain COVID-19 protection standards.

And now, as a turbulent summer ends, some smaller cruise lines are starting to sail again. Others, however—including major carriers like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Disney—are continuing to wait for months to come. Whenever, if ever, you choose to go on a cruise again, here are some things you and your fellow passengers won’t be able to do. Of course, these will vary quite a bit by cruise line and individual ship, but these are the general things experts think you’re likely to see change. Plus, check out these things polite people never do on cruises.

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Avoya Travel

Avoya Travel

American sued in Thailand over negative Tripadvisor review


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Sat, September 26, 2020, 5:36 AM CDT

An American has been sued by an island resort in Thailand over a negative TripAdvisor review, authorities said Saturday, and could face up to two years in prison if found guilty.

Domestic tourism is still happening in Thailand, where coronavirus numbers are relatively low, with locals and expats heading to near-empty resorts — including Koh Chang island, famed for its sandy beaches and turquoise waters.

But a recent visit to the Sea View Resort on the island landed Wesley Barnes in trouble after he wrote unflattering online reviews about his holiday.

“The Sea View Resort owner filed a complaint that the defendant had posted unfair reviews on his hotel on the Tripadvisor website,” Colonel Thanapon Taemsara of Koh Chang police told AFP.

He said Barnes was accused of causing “damage to the reputation of the hotel”, and of quarrelling with staff over not paying a corkage fee for alcohol brought to the hotel.

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Thailand's tourism sector has been hammered by the coronavirus pandemic, but some domestic tourism is still happening because of relatively low infections within its borders
Thailand’s tourism sector has been hammered by the coronavirus pandemic, but some domestic tourism is still happening because of relatively low infections within its borders
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Pandemic puts NYC hotels on the brink

It does appear that several big hotels in the NYC have announced that they are closing for good, and some experts say that more closures are in the near future.

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In the last two weeks, the 478-room Hilton Times Square and two Courtyard by Marriott hotels in Manhattan said they would not reopen, joining several others that had already closed for good, including the 399-room Omni Berkshire Place in midtown.  
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG

By Patrick McGeehan

Many of New York City’s biggest hotels closed their doors in March when the coronavirus wiped out tourism and business travel. The shutdowns were supposed to be temporary, but six months later, with no potential influx of visitors in sight, a wave of permanent closures has begun.

Sinking under the weight of overdue mortgage payments and property taxes, some hotels have already shut down for good, and many others are struggling to survive.

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Some hotels, including the Westin in Times Square, remain closed. About 25,000 hotel workers remain out of work.
Some hotels, including the Westin in Times Square, remain closed. About 25,000 hotel workers remain out of work.Credit…Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

“We love our jobs,” said Cristina Marino, who, along with her husband, worked at the Hyatt Centric Hotel in Manhattan until it shut down in March and they were laid off.
“We love our jobs,” said Cristina Marino, who, along with her husband, worked at the Hyatt Centric Hotel in Manhattan until it shut down in March and they were laid off.Credit…Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Las Vegas is a ghost town where even the strippers put up signs­ saying, ‘Sorry, we’re clothed’


Sin City has a well-earned reputation for offering every kind of thrill 24 hours a day – from high-stakes poker tournaments, slots and roulette wheels in the casinos to the strip joints, showbiz glitz and all-night bars
Sin City has a well-earned reputation for offering every kind of thrill 24 hours a day – from high-stakes poker tournaments, slots and roulette wheels in the casinos to the strip joints, showbiz glitz and all-night bars

It’s America’s gaudiest playground, where crowds mill around the world-famous neon ‘Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas’ sign, jostling for selfies as the notorious Strip bustles with tourists seeking the buzz of debauchery.

Sin City has a well-earned reputation for offering every kind of thrill 24 hours a day – from high-stakes poker tournaments, slots and roulette wheels in the casinos to the strip joints, showbiz glitz and all-night bars.

Fortunes can be so easily made – or lost – in an instant.

But today, in the shadow of Covid-19, Las Vegas is on its own losing streak.

Even Vegas’s ubiquitous strip joints are no more. Little Darlings tried to stay open, offering ‘coronavirus-free’ dancers and nude, hand-sanitised wrestling. It is now shuttered with a sign saying: ‘Sorry, we’re clothed’
Even Vegas’s ubiquitous strip joints are no more. Little Darlings tried to stay open, offering ‘coronavirus-free’ dancers and nude, hand-sanitised wrestling. It is now shuttered with a sign saying: ‘Sorry, we’re clothed’

For while few places have been left unaffected by the pandemic, perhaps nowhere has had its devil-may-care attitude rocked as much as this narrow pocket of Nevada.

Casinos, hotels and shows which last year generated $60 billion (£48 billion) in tourist revenue are either almost empty or shuttered. 

The entertainment mecca of the Strip, which attracted 49.5 million people in 2019 from around the world – including half a million from the UK – is neglected and deserted.

A 150ft-tall replica of the Statue of Liberty is wearing a face mask, while no one is clamouring for a selfie by the flashing neon signs.

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Las Vegas Strip violence causes security, room rate increase



By Bailey Schulz Las Vegas Review-Journal

Several fights over the weekend along Las Vegas’ tourist corridor have caused at least one casino operator to increase both security measures and room rates in an effort to quell the violence.

Capt. Patricia Spencer, head of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s downtown area command, addressed the media Tuesday afternoon to discuss the multiple events along the city’s tourist corridor over Labor Day weekend.

On Friday alone, downtown area command arrested 28 people and issued 27 citations. Spencer declined to offer details on where the incidents took place and did not offer figures for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

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