Cruise lines tackle decarbonization

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday announced an investigation into Delta Air Lines, ‘’to ensure the airline is following the law and taking care of its passengers during continued widespread disruptions.’’ Delta has been the U.S. airline hit hardest by the CrowdStrike IT outage, with over 5,000 cancellations and counting from July 19-23. Meanwhile, Delta extended its travel waiver for all passengers with scheduled departures through July 28. The waiver allows you to reschedule your flight for anytime through Aug. 4 in the same class of service without paying a change fee or fare difference. If you rebook for after Aug. 4, you would pay the fare difference. As always, if any airline cancels or significantly changes your flight — and you don’t accept an alternative flight — you are entitled to a full cash refund.

Simon Peter Groebner

Leaders from Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney and MSC Cruises recently came together on board Royal’s newest ship, Utopia of the Seas, to solve the problem of reducing carbon emissions. The goal: to set the standards for how the cruise industry will get to its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. ”We’re all here for one main reason, which is to do what’s right for our society, do what’s right for our planet,” said Royal Caribbean President and CEO Jason Liberty. Utopia of the Seas is the first in the Oasis class to run on cleaner-burning liquified natural gas, and one of only six such cruise ships currently sailing in North America.

Orlando Sentinel

It may have taken a quarter century to develop a luxury waterfront hotel in Oceanside, Calif., but it’s apparently paid off. The Mission Pacific Beach Resort, which made its debut three years ago, has been named the No. 1 resort in the continental U.S. by Travel and Leisure’s readers. The 161-room, seven-story hotel was also named the top resort in California. Travel and Leisure’s article describes the resort as “a place you never really need to leave to have a good time. It’s home to both a Michelin-starred restaurant (Valle, which serves tasty Mexican bites) and a rooftop bar serving craft cocktails that are ideal at sunset.”

San Diego Union-Tribune

Hot summer temperatures are causing a side effect 30,000 feet up — bursting cans of soda on Southwest Airlines flights. At least 20 of the airline’s flight attendants have been injured so far this summer by cans that exploded as they were opening them. The airline believes the cans became too hot before being loaded on board those flights. Because Southwest doesn’t serve meals or perishable foods, it doesn’t use refrigerated trucks, unlike other airlines, meaning soda stored at airports is heating up on sweltering days. “We are aware of the issue and have begun taking steps to attempt to mitigate it,” said Southwest spokesman Chris Perry.

Washington Post