Insider Today: America's cruising craze

Plus: 4.5-day workweek, and Air India's new Airbus A350.

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January 27, 2024 • 5 min read with Dan DeFrancesco Welcome to the weekend! If you want to improve some of the relationships in your life, check out this rundown of the six different types of communication styles. In today’s big story, we’re looking at why cruise ships, including one very big one, are all the rage these days.  What's on deck Travel: A British woman debunks American stereotypes. Careers: How to become a billionaire. Life: Inside Jay Z’s luxury watch collection, which is worth millions. But first, you’re not going to need a bigger boat.

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Royal Caribbean International Story of the day A cruising conundrum When it comes to polarizing vacations, cruise ships land somewhere near the top of the list.  Fans of cruises praise them as the ultimate form of travel. A way to visit multiple locations while having every amenity you could imagine right outside your door.  Detractors shudder at the idea of being trapped on what amounts to a floating mall with thousands of strangers in the middle of the ocean. The debate, which has raged for years, reached a fever pitch recently thanks to the Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship.  The 10,000-person mega-ship, which cost over $2 billion to build, sets off today from Port of Miami on its inaugural voyage. Passengers can choose from seven pools, nine hot tubs, and 40 restaurants, bars, and lounges. Royal Caribbean International; Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BI Regardless of your views on cruises, it’s hard to deny how popular they are these days. After weathering a potential industry-ending event — a highly infectious disease that spreads rapidly in close quarters — cruises are back in a big way, Henry Wismayer writes.  Passenger numbers have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, and the Port of Miami — the “Cruise Capital of the World” — processed nearly 68,000 cruise-goers in a single day in 2023.  One of the most interesting things about the revival of cruises has been the role young people played in it. According to data from CivicScience, 69% of 18- to 24-year-olds were “somewhat interested” in going on a cruise, which was tops among all age groups. Cruising still comes with its critics, though. Some point to the environmental impact. A 2019 study found Carnival's European fleet emitted 10 times as much sulfur oxide as the continent's 260 million passenger vehicles combined.  Cruise lines have pledged to make changes, but issues remain. The liquefied natural gas used by many new cruise ships generates methane, another potent greenhouse gas.   Read Full Story

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Travel Brad Barket/Getty Images 1. The most famous restaurant in every state. From fine dining to local barbecue joints, every state has at least one legendary eatery. The state-by-state winners were chosen based on culinary awards, TV and movie appearances, and celebrity sightings. 2. A British woman debunked a bunch of American stereotypes. She moved to Ohio with her husband and found many stereotypes about the US and American people to be untrue. This includes how they’re lazy, rude, and that the States feel unsafe due to gun culture. 3. Inside Air India’s new Airbus A350, which it hopes will compete with Emirates and Qatar. It was once the gold standard for air travel, but in an ever-changing industry, the carrier let its product slip. Now, the revamped Airbus A350 shows off new-and-improved branding as well as a modernized seat layout.

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Careers Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images 1. The case for the 4.5-day workweek. Call it a baby step toward a four-day workweek. The goal is to give employees “a mental break” at the end of the week, an executive testing out the schedule said. And no internal meetings on Fridays! 2. How to become a billionaire. Mark Cuban once said there’s no downside to being a billionaire. So, how do you become one? There are three legal routes: inheriting, marrying, and making. 3. Why this worker gave up on “overemployment” despite making $500,000 in a year. Secretly working multiple remote jobs at once made an “incredible difference” to his finances. But he gave up overemployment after burning out eight months into the setup.

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Life Kendrick Brinson for BI 1. TikTok’s lesbian power couple has divided the internet. Lunden and Olivia Stallings built a devout following chronicling their idyllic Southern lives. But some in the queer community aren’t sold on the preppy couple.  2. Where Ya Bin? What it’s like to visit a store that sells Amazon returns. The stores are popping up across the US. But bin shopping isn’t for the timid or time-constrained. If you’re willing to roll up your sleeves, you can find deals as low as $0.25 on everything from electronics to energy bars. 3. “Gotta Have It” — Jay Z’s luxury watch collection. It’s worth millions and includes one of the most complicated timepieces ever made. His collection boasts new and vintage pieces from companies like Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille, and Patek Philippe.

In other news The 23 state universities that make at least $125 million annually from their sports teams. 14 hacks that will make instant ramen even better. Scientists discovered a new dinosaur species, and it could reshape the history of T. rex’s evolution. Take a look at the silent X-59 aircraft, NASA’s experimental attempt at creating a supersonic jet with a quieter sonic boom. 10,000-year-old chewing gum is full of clues about what Stone Age teens were eating. People say weekends feel “different” now and they no longer want to socialize, blaming the pandemic and the economy.

Zanny Merullo Steffgen For your bookmarks Snorkeling in Colorado Indoor snorkeling in this landlocked state guarantees wildlife sightings. A snorkeling instructor explained why this indoor experience is an underrated attraction.

The Insider Today Saturday team Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Diamond Naga Siu, senior reporter, in San Diego. Hallam Bullock, editor, in London. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York.  Get in touch insidertoday@insider.com To read unlimited articles, subscribe to Business Insider. Download the Insider app Email sent to: mrkay@idiot.cloudns.cc Manage your email preferences | Unsubscribe | Terms of service | Privacy policy | Advertise with us © 2024 Insider Inc. 1 Liberty Plaza, New York, NY 10006