Tag Archives: christmas

Developing a new tool using A.I. and nanotech to detect ovarian cancer – NBC New York

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L.L. Bean has just added a third shift at its factory in Brunswick, Maine, in an attempt to keep up with demand for its iconic boot.

Orders have quadrupled in the past few years as the boots have become more popular among a younger, more urban crowd.

The company says it saw the trend coming and tried to prepare, but orders outpaced projections. They expect to sell 450,000 pairs of boots in 2014.

People hoping to have the boots in time for Christmas are likely going to be disappointed. The bootsare back ordered through February and even March.

"I've been told it's a good problem to have but I"m disappointed that customers not getting what they want as quickly as they want," said Senior Manufacturing Manager Royce Haines.

Customers like, Mary Clifford, tried to order boots on line, but they were back ordered until January.

"I was very surprised this is what they are known for and at Christmas time you can't get them when you need them," said Clifford.

People who do have boots are trying to capitalize on the shortage and are selling them on Ebay at a much higher cost.

L.L. Bean says it has hired dozens of new boot makers, but it takes up to six months to train someone to make a boot.

The company has also spent a million dollars on new equipment to try and keep pace with demand.

Some customers are having luck at the retail stores. They have a separate inventory, and while sizes are limited, those stores have boots on the shelves.

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Developing a new tool using A.I. and nanotech to detect ovarian cancer - NBC New York

Man arrested in Deerfield Beach shooting that left teen hospitalized – NBC 6 South Florida

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L.L. Bean has just added a third shift at its factory in Brunswick, Maine, in an attempt to keep up with demand for its iconic boot.

Orders have quadrupled in the past few years as the boots have become more popular among a younger, more urban crowd.

The company says it saw the trend coming and tried to prepare, but orders outpaced projections. They expect to sell 450,000 pairs of boots in 2014.

People hoping to have the boots in time for Christmas are likely going to be disappointed. The bootsare back ordered through February and even March.

"I've been told it's a good problem to have but I"m disappointed that customers not getting what they want as quickly as they want," said Senior Manufacturing Manager Royce Haines.

Customers like, Mary Clifford, tried to order boots on line, but they were back ordered until January.

"I was very surprised this is what they are known for and at Christmas time you can't get them when you need them," said Clifford.

People who do have boots are trying to capitalize on the shortage and are selling them on Ebay at a much higher cost.

L.L. Bean says it has hired dozens of new boot makers, but it takes up to six months to train someone to make a boot.

The company has also spent a million dollars on new equipment to try and keep pace with demand.

Some customers are having luck at the retail stores. They have a separate inventory, and while sizes are limited, those stores have boots on the shelves.

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Man arrested in Deerfield Beach shooting that left teen hospitalized - NBC 6 South Florida

Gravity-Defying Research: Cosmic Coatings and Light-Speed Fibers on the Space Station – SciTechDaily

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A set of the International Space Stations main solar arrays, slightly obscuring the smaller roll-out solar arrays, and the Kibo laboratory module with its exposed facility, a research platform that hosts external experiments, are pictured 261 miles above the Pacific Ocean. Credit: NASA

A week of science and station upkeep continued on Friday aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Ahead of their off-duty weekend, the seven Expedition 70 crew members completed an array of tasks to wrap up maintenance activities and resume microgravity research investigations.

On Tuesday, NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli kicked off a multi-day-long study investigating the efficiency of an antimicrobial coating in space. JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa took over this work on Friday, continuing the investigation to help researchers better understand how the coating holds up over time.

Four Expedition 70 crewmates join each other inside the International Space Stations Unity module for Christmas Eve festivities. From left are, NASA Flight Engineers Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral OHara; Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency); and Commander Andreas Mogensen from ESA (European Space Agency). Credit: NASA

Furukawa and Moghbeli then teamed up to inspect and change out cartridges in masks that are used in the unlikely event an emergency were to occur on station. Later on, Furukawa transferred data collected earlier this week during his and NASA Flight Engineer Loral OHaras acoustic monitoring sessions. At the end of the day, OHara configured the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) for an ongoing fiber optics investigation.

Station Commander Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency) spent Friday wrapping up tasks conducted earlier this weekstowing spacesuit hardware and charging the VR Mental Care battery. In the evening, Mogensen performed a VR for Exercise session, which focuses on the use of a virtual reality environment for biking aboard the orbiting laboratory. Not only does this mitigate bone and muscle loss that occurs in low-Earth orbit, but can increase motivation for daily exercise and boost morale.

Australias Norman River leads into the Gulf of Carpentaria in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 262 miles above the province of Queensland. Credit: NASA

The Roscosmos trio split up their duties Friday, carrying out ongoing tasks from the week. Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko removed and replaced hardware in the Zvezda service module, while Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub completed some orbital plumbing. Meanwhile, Flight Engineer Konstantin Borisov performed an experiment that studies the glow of Earths nighttime atmosphere in near-ultraviolet.

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Gravity-Defying Research: Cosmic Coatings and Light-Speed Fibers on the Space Station - SciTechDaily

The Las Vegas Sphere ‘Unwrapped’ Itself to Reveal a Holiday Message – Yahoo Life

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Since debuting over the summer with an Independence-themed display, the Sphere in Las Vegas has both enthralled and terrified visitors with the various animations featured on its580,000 square foot LED exterior. And with Christmas on Monday, the venue naturally broke out what is sure to be the first of many annual holiday messages for onlookers.

"Wrapping up the year with friends and family," the official Sphere account posted to social media on Dec. 25, along with a short video. In the clip, the venue appears to be covered in festive red and white gift wrap tied with a matching red bow. As the bow comes undone and the wrap peels away, several more layers of wrapping paper are revealed before it finally gets to the holiday tidings.

"Happy holidays from all of us at the Sphere," the message proclaimed on a blue background with exploding fireworks.

However, as others pointed out, the real show will undoubtedly take place on New Year's Eve, with what will be sure to rival the big ball drop in New York City. "This is gonna be better than the ball at Times Square on New Year's Eve," wrote one user. Another added: "I cant wait for the first New Year's countdown with the Sphere."

It's unclear what the Madison Square Garden-owned building has in store to ring in 2024, but it seems unlikely to disappoint. Though the project reported initial losses, it has since been revealed that the Sphere has made a whopping $75 million through Nov. 30, thanks to its first two inaugural shows, U2's UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency and the Darren Aronofsky original film Postcards From Earth, which was designed and shot specially for the venue.

It's still a far cry from recouping its $2.3 billion construction costs, but with new acts and events being regularly announced, it's likely only a matter of time.

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The Las Vegas Sphere 'Unwrapped' Itself to Reveal a Holiday Message - Yahoo Life

Supercomputer predicts entire Boxing Day results with shocks for Man Utd and Newcastle… – The Sun

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A SUPERCOMPUTER has predicted the results for the Premier League's Boxing Day line-up of matches.

There are five games scheduled for the day after Christmas as part of a busy festive period.

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Newcastle welcome Nottingham Forest to St. James' Park in the early kick-off, with Liverpool also in action at Burnley.

Manchester United and Aston Villa will conclude the day's play at Old Trafford in an 8pm kick-off.

BestGamblingSites' supercomputer has predicted the results of all five matches ahead of Boxing Day.

The results were predicted using a variety of factors, including each team's form this season and on Boxing Days of the past.

Manager form and home team advantage were also considered by the supercomputer.

Newcastle fans are in for a nightmare after Christmas if the predicted results come true.

The supercomputer expects Eddie Howe's side to fall to a 2-1 home defeat against Forest.

Forest have not won a league game at St. James' Park since 1988 but the Magpies have a shocking record on Boxing Day, winning just once since 2013.

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Fulham are predicted to win 3-0 away to Bournemouth along with a 1-0 win for Luton at Sheffield United in the 3pm matches.

Liverpool are also expected to have plenty of festive cheer thanks to a 4-0 win at Burnley..

Meanwhile, there will not be a record-extending Boxing Day win for United.

The Red Devils have won 21 of their 27 Premier League matches on December 26, giving them the best record of any side in the league's history.

Erik ten Hag's side are predicted to be held to a 2-2 draw by high-flying Villa, though, despite winning eight of their last 10 league meetings at Old Trafford.

Villa do have an encouraging recent record against United, however, beating their opponents at home last November as well as securing a 1-0 win on the road in April 2021.

The Boxing Day line-up of matches will be followed by five more fixtures on December 27 and 28 to complete matchday 19.

Amongst those involved later in the week are Manchester City, who visit Everton, and Arsenal in a home clash with West Ham.

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Tuesday 26 December (Boxing Day)

12.30pm - Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest

3pm - Bournemouth vs Fulham

3pm - Sheffield United vs Luton

5.30pm - Burnley vs Liverpool

8pm - Man Utd vs Aston Villa

Wednesday 27 December

7.30pm - Brentford vs Wolves

7.30pm - Chelsea vs Crystal Palace

8.15pm - Everton vs Man City

Thursday 28 December

7.30pm - Brighton vs Tottenham

8.15pm - Arsenal vs West Ham

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Supercomputer predicts entire Boxing Day results with shocks for Man Utd and Newcastle... - The Sun

Conservative towns in liberal American states want to ban abortion – The Economist

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On December 10th about a dozen people file into a church in Seminole, Texas. Upbeat Christmas music plays softly over the speakers as people take their seats in wooden pews. But the pastor is not the main speaker. He hands the microphone to Mark Lee Dickson, an anti-abortion activist, and David Gallegos, a state senator for New Mexico. The two men explain how their plan to ban abortion in eastern New Mexico could deter women from neighbouring Texas from crossing state lines for the procedure. They are coming, says Mr Gallegos. The only way to stop death in my state is help from your state.

New Mexicos role in Americas abortion wars derives largely from its geography. Abortion in the state is legal throughout all stages of pregnancy. But New Mexico shares a border with Texas and Oklahoma, where the procedure is illegal, and touches Arizona and Utah, which have restrictions. The Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion research group, finds that abortions in New Mexico more than tripled between 2020 and 2023, the largest percentage increase of any state. Adrienne Mansanares, chief executive of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, reckons that more than 80% of patients at the groups clinic in Las Cruces, New Mexico, come from Texas.

New Mexico has thus become a target for anti-abortion activists. Mr Dickson initially sought merely to limit abortion in cities and counties in Texas. But in 2021 the state passed SB8, which in effect banned the procedure, and a year later the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. The emboldened activist now has his sights set on eastern New Mexico, which is home to plenty of conservative, rural communities that chafe against the states progressive government and permissive abortion laws. Its basically West West Texas, says Laura Wight, a member of Eastern New Mexico Rising, a rare progressive group in the region.

Several municipalities in New Mexico recently passed ordinances that endeavour to ban abortion despite state law. The states attorney-general sued them, and the case came before New Mexicos Supreme Court on December 13th. The ordinances have two goals. The first is to deter Texas women from seeking an abortion in New Mexico. Whole Womans Health, which runs abortion clinics, recently considered opening an office in Hobbs, just across the state line from Seminole, but decided on progressive Albuquerque instead. Hobbs is right in line for getting abortion clinics and weve been fighting that tooth and toenail, says Jan Auld, a Hobbs resident who attended the church meeting in Seminole.

Second, Mr Dickson and his supporters want the New Mexico ordinances to bolster their argument that a federal law on the books since 1873, known as the Comstock Act, already in effect blocks abortion nationwide. The Comstock Act is an ambiguous anti-vice law that prohibits the mailing of obscene or lewd materials, including things related to contraception and abortion. Some argue that it could be used to block the shipping of any tools used for abortion, making the procedure difficult to perform at all.

The law was only ever patchily enforced, explains Mary Ziegler, a legal historian at the University of California, Davis. It was this sort of weird relationship between government and social-movement activists, she adds. There were very few prosecutions even before Roe established a constitutional right to abortion in 1973. But the eastern New Mexico ordinances assert that Comstock is the supreme law of the land, thereby trumping any New Mexico law that protects abortion.

New Mexicos Supreme Court will probably disagree. During oral arguments the justices appeared loth to consider Comstock at all. They seem minded to rule that the new local laws violate state law: case closed. But the debate over Comstock will rage on. A federal judge in Texas recently ruled that the 150-year-old law plainly forecloses mail-order abortion, referring to the Food and Drug Administrations approval of mifepristone, a drug used to end a pregnancy. The Supreme Court will hear the case in 2024.

The question of whether, and how, Comstock is enforced will also loom over the 2024 presidential election. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank that has published detailed policy plans for a second Donald Trump term, contends that the next conservative administration should announce its intent to enforce federal law against providers and distributors of such pills.

David Cohen, a law professor at Drexel University, argues that, should he lose the election, in the lame-duck period before he leaves office President Joe Biden should consider pardoning anyone who may have violated the Comstock Act. The Biden administration is not going to enforce that law, Mr Dickson tells those gathered at the church. But another administration might.

Stay on top of American politics withChecks and Balance, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter, whichexamines the state of American democracy and the issues that matter to voters.

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Conservative towns in liberal American states want to ban abortion - The Economist

The Smithsonian’s collection of brains is linked to eugenics, taken from vulnerable populations – Live Action

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The Washington Post has published a follow-up to its investigation into the Smithsonian Institution, which has a staggering collection of human body parts, including brains and few of the remains were obtained through ethical means. Now, in the follow-up report, the Post has reported that most of the victims were Washington, D.C.s most vulnerable residents.

Ales Hrdlicka (1869-1943) was the anthropologist responsible for much of the collection of body parts, and he had a specific goal in mind: to prove that minorities, but especially Black people, were inferior to whites. Creating a racial brain collection was part of how he would prove this long-debunked theory. Of the 74 brains he got from residents of Washington, D.C., 48 were Black. Others were from disabled persons or were taken from children including 19 obtained from preborn children.

At least one of these brains was taken after the preborn child was killed in an abortion.

One of the children, Moses, died as an infant, and Hrdlicka performed the autopsy on him, with the familys consent; however, they had no idea that he was also taking the childs brain. It has remained in the Smithsonians collection for decades, though Michelle Farris, a distant relative, is now fighting to get it back so it can buried properly.

It feels like my family was robbed of something, Farris said. A child especially of that age cant speak up for themselves. Since the Washington Posts initial investigation, just five of the brains have been returned to either the persons family, or their cultural heirs such as an indigenous tribe.

While the Smithsonian has expressed willingness to return the remains, those remains must be requested through a formal petition, and as in Moses case, most of the families dont even know the collection exists, much less that a relative has body parts in it. Though the Smithsonian has names for at least 100 of the brains, the institution has not attempted to contact anyone or publish the names so their families can reclaim them.

READ: The media is outraged over stolen body parts but only if it doesnt involve abortion

An undercover investigation from the Center of Medical Progress found through documentation and video investigations that Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry still harvest body parts from the most vulnerable among us preborn children and sell them for medical research.

Notably, Hrdlicka was an ardent eugenicist something he had in common with Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood. Sanger accepted an invitation to speak at a Ku Klux Klan meeting and surrounded herself with racists and eugenicists. Lothrop Stoddard was the Exalted Cyclops of the Massachusetts chapter of the Ku Klux Klan and also served on the board of Sangers American Birth Control League (ABCL) the organization that would later become Planned Parenthood. He believed that non-white races must be excluded from America. Clarence Gamble, heir of the Procter and Gamble company fortune, served as a director of both Sangers ABCL and Planned Parenthood boards and was also a eugenicist, supporting laws mandating the sterilization of the disabled. In a letter discussing the notorious Negro Project with Sanger, he said:

The mass of Negroes, particularly in the South, still breed carelessly and disastrously, with the result that the increase among Negroes, even more than among whites, is from that portion of the population least intelligent and fit, and least able to rear children properly.

In his 1904 guide to eugenics, Hrdlicka echoes these beliefs. He wrote of wanting to obtain brains from white people, of which he had abundant opportunity, but also from American negroes, which will be of increasing interest on account of the intellectual progress and mixture of this element in the American population.

In addition to brains, there are still numerous other remains in the collection, including bones and even complete skeletons.

To me, its very upsetting, Native American anthropologist Brad Hatch told the Washington Post. They essentially pulled our ancestors out of the ground, discarded who knows how many of them, and then the large pieces that they could identify, they took back and theyre holding them, essentially in storage where they cant really be given the respect they deserve.

The DOJ put a pro-life grandmother in jail this Christmas for protesting the killing of preborn children. Please take 30-seconds to TELL CONGRESS: STOP THE DOJ FROM TARGETING PRO-LIFE AMERICANS.

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The Smithsonian's collection of brains is linked to eugenics, taken from vulnerable populations - Live Action

When is the Best Time to Cruise the Caribbean? – Cruise Hive

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Caribbean cruises can be booked throughout the entire calendar year, but the best time to visit is from December to April. If youre looking for the best deals, book a cruise between May and November.

This time frame overlaps hurricane season for a few weeks, but if youre willing to take the risk, you can find significantly more affordable prices for cruises, tours, and on-shore excursions.

Lets take a closer look at everything you need to know to book your Caribbean cruise at the time thats best for you.

To understand the best time to enjoy a cruise in the Caribbean, you first need to know how the seasons in the region work. Essentially, this tropical climate experiences two noticeably different seasons the dry season and the wet season. As you may have guessed, these two seasons revolve around the amount of precipitation the region experiences during different times of the year.

Given the unpredictability of Caribbean weather, the dry season does not have a specific start and finish date, but it generally runs from early November until late April. During this stretch, temperatures tend to be relatively mild, while precipitation is at an annual minimum.

During the first half of the dry season, you can expect daily average temperatures to range somewhere between 70 F and 80 F. This means you can enjoy pleasantly warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine without risking the sweltering intensity of the summer heat.

During the back end of the dry season, meaning January until the end of April, average temperatures rise by a few degrees, but the skies usually remain clear.

When the dry season ends in late April, the wet season begins. May tends to be the informal beginning of the wet season, so temperatures increase alongside humidity levels.

The temperatures vary between the Southern Caribbean Islands, like St Lucia and St Vincent, and those in the Western Caribbean closer to the continental United States, like the Cayman Islands, St Maarten, or Jamaica, but you can expect the average daytime temperature to be around 91 F. As the name suggests, precipitation increases throughout the wet season, but showers are brief and sporadic during the first few months.

Once you reach July, you are at the very peak of the Caribbeans wet season, which means you can expect high temperatures, plenty of rain, and humidity levels that can be uncomfortable. During these mid to late summer months, the Caribbean is also at the greatest risk of experiencing tropical storms, multi-day rainfalls, and even hurricanes.

Given how the wet and dry seasons pan out, you are always better off booking your Caribbean cruise vacation during the calendars shoulder seasons, meaning late fall and early spring.

Read Also: When is the Best Time to Visit US Virgin Islands?

More specifically, you will want to favor the months of November and April when booking your trip. If you want to avoid hurricanes and tropical storms, we recommend April over November, but remember that November can be a pleasant time to enjoy a cruise in the region.

As you can tell from our breakdown of the wet and dry seasons, conditions tend to be at their most pleasant and calm right before the start of the wet season and shortly after it has concluded.

This gives you that perfect blend of warm and sunny weather while minimizing your risk of rainfall and severe storms. Nighttime temperatures are also pleasant during these months, rather than muggy and humid.

While there is always the risk of the occasional light rain shower when you are in the Caribbean, they tend to be fairly minimal during the late fall and early spring.

Beyond ensuring that you have a high chance of enjoying pleasant temperatures and minimal rainfall, the shoulder seasons are also an excellent time to book your vacation because of the calmer sea conditions.

Even though modern cruise ships are all designed for stability and passenger comfort, it is always more pleasant to be a passenger when traveling through calm seas.

Not only does it minimize seasickness and that unpleasant rocking motion some passengers find irritating, but the Caribbean Sea and its numerous coastlines are most beautiful when the turquoise water is perfectly still.

The Caribbean Sea is usually relatively calm during late fall and early spring. As you can imagine, this helps ensure all passengers enjoy a smoother, more relaxing cruising experience.

While it is possible to enjoy a pleasant cruising experience in the Caribbean throughout the year, it is generally understood that cruising during a summer month is the riskiest.

When you book a cruise that sets sail between August and September, you almost guarantee that you will travel during the peak of the wet season. This is also when the CCaribbeanshurricane season is in full swing.

Temperatures can be warm and enjoyable, but many people find that the humidity can be unpleasant. Rain is also more frequent, which can makeexcursions and exploring portsof call far less enjoyable.

If you choose to travel during peak hurricane season, there is also the risk that a hurricane or serious tropical storm will disrupt your cruise vacation.

This can mean your itinerary can be disrupted, or the cruise line will be forced to cancel the voyage entirely. Whilethis outcome is fairly unlikely, it can be a concern for those who cannot delay their trip due to work commitments.

This is one of the reasons why Caribbean cruises during the summer tend to be relatively affordable. Not only is there a higher risk of rainfall and high humidity levels, but you also risk trip disruptions due to storms and hurricanes. With that said, due to the lack of demand, fewer Caribbean cruises set sail during this time of year, which can increase costs and level them out.

While it may surprise you, some of themost affordable monthsof the year to cruise the Caribbean are some of the most pleasant months to travel in the region.

Tickets for cruises that set sail between January and March are usually among the most affordable. This is because these months and those between them are when demand is high enough to warrant an increased number of cruise voyages, but they miss the most pleasant months of November and April.

In other words, plenty of cruise lines offer Caribbean voyages during this period, but demand is lower than during the peak travel months. This increases the chances of scoring anamazing Caribbean cruise deal.

If you want tokeep costs to a minimum, it is also worth noting that you should try to avoid booking your trip for days that land near major holidays, like the week between Christmas and New Years Eve. This is because demand increases, which usually translates to higher prices for cruise ship tickets. March break should also be avoided, as many families with children try to book during this week.

Most experienced Caribbean cruisers will tell you to avoid the middle of the wet season. We tend to agree with this advice, as it helps you avoid the most unpleasant Caribbean weather.

Regarding our top picks, we almost always point towards November and April, as they provide the least precipitation, the calmest waters, and plenty of sunshine. These are also some of the most expensive months to travel, so you may want to pick some other time during the dry season.

Ultimately, thebest time to cruisethe Caribbean depends on your personal budget and preferences. If you hope to enjoy a cruise during a less ideal month to celebrate a particular occasion or life event, book your trip and enjoy yourself!

While it is true that certain months are better than others when it comes to reducing your risk of rain storms and unpleasant temperatures, the Caribbean Sea is a year-round cruising destination. As long as you have realistic weather expectations and areprepared for your trip, you will enjoy yourself!

In other words, dont get bogged down in the details! Book when it makes the most sense for you and your loved ones.

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When is the Best Time to Cruise the Caribbean? - Cruise Hive