Royal Caribbean upgrades Freedom of the Seas

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So what's new on the ship? Well for one, its maximum capacity increased from 4,375 to 4,515 as new staterooms were added. The ship's premium dining options were revamped with Chops steakhouse getting a new look and new menu, the old Portofino Italian dining option changing to Giovanni's Table and a brand new dining venue in the form of Sabor's Modern Mexican.

"Originally Portofino was an a la carte northern Italian experience and Giovanni's is more of a family-oriented modern Italian experience," said Royal Caribbean spokesperson Harrison Liu. "While Chops Grille kept the name, the menu is completely different. It was a '90s style Chicago steakhouse, but it's now a more modernized American steakhouse."

Sabor's took the place of the ship's two-floor Gothic-themed nightclub The Crypt. Sabor's took the top floor and the space on the bottom floor went to more cabins. The new restaurant offers a vivid and loud atmosphere with family-style touches such as tableside crafting of guacamole. Sharing of appetizers is encouraged by the staff.

The three specialty dining locations are in addition to a Johnny Rockets, which cost cruisers extra. Complimentary dining locations include three main dining rooms, a Sorrento's pizza parlor, the Windjammer Cafe and Cafe Promenade. Other extra-cost venues include a Ben & Jerry's ice cream parlor and a high-end cupcake venue.

For those interested in a before- or after-dinner beverage, what was once the Champagne Bar has been replaced with the R Bar, a '60s-era venue that serves unique cocktails like the Texas Collins, which involves watermelon and jalapeno. Other imbibing options on Freedom include Vintages wine bar, English-inspired Bull and Bear Pub and Latin-inspired Boleros among a half-dozen other watering holes.

Also new to the ship is a new class of stateroom called panoramic ocean-view located on Deck 12 in front of the spa. The 26 bow-facing staterooms feature floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows that once were part of a walkway around the ship's spa. Their addition as well as new inside staterooms where The Crypt used to be brings the ship's total to 1,891 staterooms, which means 3,782 passengers at double capacity.

The rest of the ship received the standard makeover for a cruise ship drydock, which occur no later than every five years as required by maritime law. During the drydock, the line replaced mattresses and reupholstered furnishings in all the cabins as well as the sundry sitting locations around the ship including the main theater. The line did not reveal how much the drydock enhancements cost.

The changes to Freedom of the Seas are part of Royal Caribbean's ship revitalization program that began in 2011. The program was designed to take some of the most popular features of the Oasis of the Seas and roll them out fleetwide. The Freedom of the Seas actually was one of the first ships to get Oasis-grade upgrades in 2011, with the addition of touch-screen digital signage, shipwide Wi-Fi and a large, poolside movie screen.

The program means that ships don't have much in the way of original features, except for the new Quantum of the Seas that launched last fall and sails out of New York.

"This is really taking what Royal Caribbean is known for - the innovation and the 'wow' features and bringing them to all of our other ships," said Vicki Freed, Senior Vice President of Sales, Trade Support and Service.

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Royal Caribbean upgrades Freedom of the Seas

Pension freedom – triumph or disaster in the making?

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By Tanya Jefferies for Thisismoney.co.uk

Published: 02:19 EST, 6 February 2015 | Updated: 05:30 EST, 6 February 2015

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Pension freedom reforms are only two months away and many retirees are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to unlock savings built up over decades.

But although the big pension overhaul is still applauded on all sides, there is creeping concern some people at least will be tripped up by the new rules and make mistakes that cost them dear.

That's not to lose sight of the potential advantages pension freedom will hand people trying to decide how best to fund their retirement - and wanting to spend a portion of their cash enjoyably, of course.

Pension freedom: Are you baffled and uneasy about the reforms, or eagerly waiting to exploit the benefits?

Yet big and serious risks are looming, like fraudsters stealing people's life savings, baffled retirees paying far too much tax, and the possibility of some treating their savings like a cash windfall and blowing them too fast.

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Pension freedom - triumph or disaster in the making?

Captive ‘Cyborg’ Birthday: Billboard card for Ukrainian soldier being held captive by militants – Video

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Captive #39;Cyborg #39; Birthday: Billboard card for Ukrainian soldier being held captive by militants
A birthday card to a Ukrainian soldier currently being help captive in east Ukraine has been put on a billboard in the city of Zhytomyr in northern Ukraine. ...

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Captive 'Cyborg' Birthday: Billboard card for Ukrainian soldier being held captive by militants - Video

Hawaiis beaches feature rainbow of colors

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KALAPANA, Hawaii Go ahead, sink your toes in the sand on Hawaiis famous beaches. But you might be surprised by the color of that sand its not always golden. Youll find black sand, red sand and even green sand across the island chain.

The Big Island, Maui and Molokai offer black sand beaches. Maui is home to a red beach, and the Big Island is home to a green beach, both rare and off the beaten path. While common golden sand is made up of small pieces of coral and seashells broken up by ocean waves over time, the more unusual colors found around Hawaiis beaches can be traced to volcanoes.

Black sand beaches are formed when hot molten lava enters the cold ocean and is immediately quenched to solid glass. then shatters from the resulting steam, according to Darcy Bevens at the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Mauis Kaihalulu Bay red sand beach is colored by the crumbling volcanic red cinder cliffs that surround the bay, she said, while the green sand on the Big Islands Papakolea Beach is from olivine crystals from an eroding volcanic cinder cone.

A BLACK SAND BEACH, JUST 25 YEARS OLD

A new black sand beach was formed on the eastern shores of the Big Island after lava from the Kilauea volcano engulfed the town of Kalapana in 1990, destroying most of the homes. The molten lava also filled in Kaimu Bay, covered the beach that was there and extended the shoreline, creating a new beach about a half-mile from the original. Locals began cultivating a grove of coconut trees at the new beach as soon as the lava cooled.

Today a small visitors center at the beginning of the beach trail displays pictures of the area before the disaster. It takes 10 to 20 minutes on the trail, through the lava field, to reach the ocean. Dont go too far off the trail as the lava field can be tough to navigate and the region still has active lava flows.

The beach sits below an eroding lava plateau and strong white waves rumble across the black lava rock face. Swimming is not recommended as the waves and current are treacherous, but the views are unmatched. And knowing the beach is only 25 years old is mind-blowing its younger than some of its visitors.

The new Kaimu Beach is at the end of Highway 130, past Pahoa town, where the road meets Highway 137. There is adequate parking. Vendors sell fruit smoothies, barbecue lunch plates and souvenirs. Check with local authorities before going as active lava flows may disrupt access.

RED SAND, NUDE BATHERS

Kaihalulu Bay on Maui, near the town of Hana, is home to a unique red sand beach. Towering red cinder cliffs surround the bay, and the blue ocean swirls along the red sandy shore. A large lava rock reef juts out in the bay slightly protecting the beach from harsh waves, but swimming is not advised. There are no lifeguards and ocean conditions are unpredictable.

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Hawaiis beaches feature rainbow of colors

Beaches pose danger near tourist parks

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Feb. 8, 2015, 9:13 p.m.

Many tourist parks in the Illawarra are too close to hazardous beaches, putting visitors at risk, study says.

An aerial view of Corrimal Beach and Corrimal Caravan Park shows its proximity to the beach. Picture: SYLVIA LIBER

The warning signs at the entrance to Corrimal Beach Tourist Park, owned and operated by Wollongong council. Picture: ANDY ZAKELI

Many tourist parks in the Illawarra and other areas on the South Coast are too close to hazardous beaches, putting visitors at risk, a university study has found.

The study by academics at the University of New South Wales' School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences found 91 per cent of tourist parks in NSW were "closest to surf beaches rated as hazardous to swimmers".

"These stark statistics should be of concern to tourist park operators, beach users and local governments," said study author, Associate Professor Rob Brander.

A hazard rating was given to each beach, based on a formula in the Surf Life Saving Australia, Australian Beach Safety and Management Program, with one being the least hazardous and 10 the most.

The study also found 35 per cent of these beaches were unpatrolled and 61 per cent only partially patrolled.

According to the study, the beaches on the southern NSW coast posed more of a threat than those to the north.

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Beaches pose danger near tourist parks

High surf expected at San Diego beaches

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LA MESA (CNS) - A fundraiser was scheduled to be held Sunday for a 33-year-old Heartland Fire & Rescue firefighter who was born with a heart condition and is now awaiting a heart transplant at a Los Angeles hospital.

Deputy Fire Marshal Adam Beardsley was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs in September. Following months of treatment, his doctors discovered that his heart had significantly weakened and he was in need of a heart transplant, according to a Gofundme page started by his sister, Katie.

Beardsley was admitted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center last month and is waiting for a donor heart to become available. His wife of five years, Megan, continues to work in San Diego and visits him in Los Angeles, as do his sister and parents.

A fundraiser scheduled for 1 p.m. at Bolt Brewery, 8179 Center St. in La Mesa was created to offset some of the unexpected expenses the family was taking on, such as often commuting to Los Angeles and renting an apartment close to the hospital, according to the fundraising page.

His recovery is also expected to be costly because he will have to spend two weeks in the hospital post surgery, and another three months of recovery in Los Angeles.

Monetary donations can also be made at gofundme.com/beardsley.

In addition to raising money, Beardsley's family was also working to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation. Those who wish to become organ donors may do so at lifesharing.org.

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High surf expected at San Diego beaches

Astronomy – Ch. 4: History of Astronomy (8 of 16) The Power of Observations and Reasoning – Video

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Astronomy - Ch. 4: History of Astronomy (8 of 16) The Power of Observations and Reasoning
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain how the ancient scientists used the power of observation to ...

By: Michel van Biezen

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Astronomy - Ch. 4: History of Astronomy (8 of 16) The Power of Observations and Reasoning - Video