Daily Archives: February 14, 2021

Editors Note: erroneous reports out of Puerto Rico said that Harry Hauck, considered by most to be the grandfather of water polo on the island, had passed away after a lengthy illness. Swimming World inadvertently published an obituary to this effect. In fact, Coach Hauck is alive andeven though his health is not greatstill with us. Following is an interview done with him in May 2020.

Despite reports to the contrary, Harry Hauck, one of the most important people in Puerto Rican water polo history, has not cleared out from the locker room of life.

As many have attestedfrom Manuel de Jesus, a long-time coach and official in Puerto Rico, to Carlos Steffens, arguably the best polo player the island ever producedHauck is one of a kind, a Puerto Rican living legend who, upon his arrival in 1964 was responsible for launching the countrys national team program. If this was his only accomplishment, Haucks achievements might not be so grand, his legend not so large.

A tireless worker for aquatic success both in his native Michigan and in his adopted home pf Puerto Rico, the swimmer turned Navy frogman, turned coach, turned scuba diver extraordinaire sustained both a national water polo program and a rewarding career in open water swimming, one which took him and his family all over the world.

Following is a transcript of the unvarnished Harry Hauck: his time in Detroit as a swimmer, polo player and coach; his stint with the U.S. Navy during the Korean War; his flight to Puerto Rico where he built a viable national team from scratch; his connection to the 1979 Puerto Rican teamconsidered to be the islands best everand numerous open water swim exploits.

***

I was the only water polo player in the world that was a bonafide member of a water polo team and couldnt swim a stroke.

I could not swim. I had some friends, neighborhood buddies. I used to go down to the local recreation center in Detroit, which had a water polo chairman within the recreation department. At the end of adult swimming, all the swimmers would leave and the water polo team would practice.

I would sit in the balcony and watch them practice. And this was a 25-yard pool, so the shallow end had a big goal. one night I was sitting there watching and the coach hollered up: Hey, were short a man, come on down and play goalie in the shallow end.

Thats how I did it. He gave me a membership card to a mens water polo team. And I couldnt swim in the deep end.

I taught myself.

The St. Clair Recreation Center was [on] the East Side. I ended up on the water polo team. Two years later, I earned my varsity letter swimming for Wayne State University (in 1947).

They didnt have [a water polo team] when I was there, but they got one later. I ended up as a Navy frogman, three years after I learned to swim.

The Korean War [was on] and I enlisted. I had seen the movie about the frogmen. I went through and was accepted. I made it through hell week and was in Team 2 on the East Coast. I was in the Navy from 51 to 55. Once the Korean War was over, I got out.

Demolition was very prominent in the Pacific. When the U S was patching together all those islands so we could bomb Japan. Once the Second World War ended, they broke up the teams. When Korea started, they reactivated them.

I was one of the early ones activated. It turned out that there was no amphibious warfare in Korea. So, they started doing inland excursions. And thats how SEALS were born.

The West Coast had Teams One, Three and Five. The East Coast had Two and Fourand Two and Four were doing all the experimental work. We were in Europe. I dove in Greenland. I did night sneak attacks in Guantanamo Bay.

When people introduce me as a SEAL, I jump all over them. I said: I was never a SEAL. I came before the SEALS, and they take umbrage with saying youre a SEAL and you werent.

I went to Puerto Rico in 1952 with the Navy. After my UDT (Underwater Demolition Training), I was an instructor in the next class. I came down here as a program instructor and I put through the winter class at the Navy base in [Roosevelt Roads], Puerto Rico. I fell in love with the island. When I got out, I went back to Detroit, met my wife, got married, had kids, graduated from college.

I went back to work for the recreation department. I always had one foot in the islands. In 1964, the US Olympic team with training in California, I had a swimmer on [the team]. And I went out to watch. A guy who ran Swimming World magazine at that time [Peter Daland] put an ad in the magazine for me.I got a phone call from the Caribe Hilton. They said: Do you want to come to Puerto Rico? I didnt know what the hell was going on. I had a wife and two kids.

So, I burned all my bridges and came down here.

In 52 we were down south at the Navy base and I came up to San Juan a couple of times on liberty. But I didnt get a feel for the island until I moved down here. Things were just starting to change. The pharmaceutical companies had moved down here on a tax-free deal. And they were hiring a lot of local people and there was a middle-income group created in that period of time.

Before that it was just the rich and the poor.

No. There was a half-a-dozen age group and senior swim teams at the various clubs. The Navy had a team and the Army, too. I came to work at the Hilton and worked there for a while.

There was a guy who was selling scuba trips. Of course, I did that in the Navy. When I quit coaching, I went into business teaching diving. I was an instructor for 44 years.

Nothing! When I lived in the States, the coaches ran the sport. Except when it was an Olympic year. When I moved to Puerto Rico, we were part of FINA. So, the coaches had nothing to say; the civilians ran things. I locked arms with them, and they told me: You go ahead and start the sport, but were gonna run it.

Thats basically what happened. I got a team together. We used volleyballs, womens bathing caps, and put together two teams. And we had a newspaper come and take pictures. And that was the first water polo on the island.

1965.

They were all my players. Youve got to remember that, if youre a track coach, you can move to a country and get a couple of guys to run and jump. If you have a stopwatch youre in business.

A team sport, like water polo, first, you have to find 11 guys who can swim well and then you have to have goals and caps and balls. Theyve got to learn the rules. And then you got to teach all the officials how to time and keeps score.

And then you got to have somebody to play against.

Nobody. I taught everybody.

We created a Christmas tournament. I talked the association into holding a water polo tournament at Christmas time. We got the New York AC. we got, a couple of teams from California, they were junior colleges. A team from Switzerland came. Thats when coaches from California came and started recruiting players from Puerto Rico.

Youve got to remember, I started a sport on an island where there were no water polo players. We played amongst ourselves on clubs that didnt know what they were doing. And they were standing on the bottom all the time and catching the ball with two hands.

We had the Central American games, which is second only to the Pan Ams in that part of the world. There were teams left over from the old British dynasty. We had Jamaica and Trinidad and the Bahamas. They came for the tournament and we became friends.

There was an age group swimming tournament held in Jamaica. I took a team there, and the Jamaican players were all older guys, but they helped train my guys because they had no one to learn from. From there they got better and better.

When we went to the senior Central American Games in Panama [in 1970], that was a tryout for the Pan Ams. We had to finish in the top six from this part of the world, and we finished sixth on the last day, So, we were able to go.

Correct. They were held in Colombia.

I was going to swim the [English] Channel with my youngest son, and then come back and again with my whole family and swim a relay. So, I took him to England with me.

[Miguel Rivera and the Fantastic, Unbelievable and True Story of Pitt Water Polo and Puerto Rico]

I trained in a walk-in freezer and the veterans hospital. I got Miguel a grant because we used a freezing room and some hospital facility. He wrote a paper about cold water and senior citizens swimming.

We were in shape. We werent very skillful but we were in shape.

I had them wear sweatshirts and weight beltsand had seven of those guys play against seven who didnt have that. That made the guys in weights stronger and faster, they tended to play from behind against what the other half was wearing. It got to the point where you had to shoot more, otherwise you drown with the weights on.

I went to a Copa America Games in March for the opening ceremony, the pageantry was great. When I went to the Pan Am Games it wasnt the first time. What was interesting to me was the U.S. was deadly rivals of the Cubans, so when I got there, the U.S. coaches looked down their noses at me. Who was this clown?

Ted Newland thought a Latin was running this team. It was me and they didnt know who I was.

[Passages: Ted Newland, Coach Emeritus of UC Irvine Mens Water Polo, Passes Away at 91]

So, were sitting there, and [Newland] said: Youre gonna vote with us when its time to vote. Because I knew all the Cuban coaches from playing against them. I said: You know what? Youve got five guys [on your staff] and Im alone here. You got one vote and Ive got one vote.

Im just as good as you are.

For me, that was the success of the Pan Americans, that I was able to sit at a table with the so-called California trust.

In 69, the aquatic age group games were held in Havana. I coached the U15 and U17 team there. That was quite a deal because we flew to Havana and I had three children on the team. My sons [Harry Jr. and Timothy] played polo and my daughter [Krista] swam.

Our passports allowed for one roundwe were allowed to go there and then come back.

We stayed in a hotel called Habana Libre which was the old Hilton. We had two floors and there wasnt much to see, and a lot of security. I had a sportswriter call me from San Juan, and I could hear that my phone was tapped.

I was assigned a guide for myself and my 11 players, anywhere we went. We had a place where we could practice once a day. It was a club on the waterfront. We got there a little bit early and the Mexicans were training. I crossed the street and looked out at the ocean. The guide came along and I said: Any chance I can go diving while Im here.

He said: Oh no, no. You were here in 1954 with the Navy.

I almost fell off the step!

We were told by the state department, dont take anything over there, dont talk to anybody. [Before we left] I got phone calls from all kinds of peopleCubans[who would say]: My cousins still there, my brothers still there, would you mind taking this over?

I ended up with a couple of extra suitcases of medical supplies; I asked the people: How will I know whos who? Theyll come to you, they answered.

When we got ready to go back to Puerto Rico, an old man came [to the hotel]he was white hairedand I got into the elevator with him alone. I said: Ive got two suitcases full of stuff. He looked at me and then went in the elevator to the top floor and I gave it to him.

The association wouldnt even invite me [in 1979]. I watched part of a game on TV, and the announcers called Salabarra the guy who brought water polo to Puerto Rico. That just rubbed me the wrong way. Wed moved aggressively to play the game and to qualify for Pan Amswe were just about ready to break loose and do something when 71 came. And they bounced me out.

Thats left a bitter taste in my mouth over the years.

There was always a little bit of conflict between water polo and swimming. In 66 I had gotten enough polo playersenough guys to know the rules, handle the ball. They had some background, so when the time came for the 66 games, I put forth the names of eleven players. The swimming association said: No, no! Four of them are gonna swim, they cant play polo.

I dont know whats happening with polo on the island. One of my original polo players [Antonio Del Valle] became a doctor. He ended up at the University of Puerto Rico. Hes still and MD but he ran the water polo team at University of Puerto Ricohe was the athletic director over there.

He tried to start beach water polo, like beach volleyball.

He kind of keeps me updated but at one point in time we had a water polo league. We had a 12 and under, a 13, a 15 and a seniorwe had three different age groups and we actually had a league. One weekend, the games would be in San Juan, the next weekend they would be in Mayagez, then wed be in [Ponce].

They had a lot of games going on all the time. And I dont know what happened; I havent heard anything.

When the fiftieth year came around [in 2015], I called Del Valle [and said]: Look, its 50 years, we have to have some kind of commemoration. He put together a little tournament for the anniversary, and my second son [Timothy] came with a team from Miami and won second place.

My aquatic life started in a recreation center. Every recreation center had a swimming program. Theyd open up the pool at 2 in the afternoon and close them at 10 at night. During that time, you would have team swim, adult swim, womens nightbut youd also gave swimming lessons. And a swimming team and a water polo team.

Id go to work with a foot of snow falling, and itd be 100 in the pool.

Its hard to understand in a climate like you have here, why people dont swim. In places like Detroit, Chicago, New York, people swim all winter long and theyre public pools.

Given Puerto Ricos weather and great swimming tradition, you think there would be more involvement with the water.

When the 66 games came around, I was surprised there were water polo teams from the Bahamas, Trinidad, Jamaica, the British Islands. Apparently, they played water polo in their Commonwealth Games.

Over the years I started taking my scuba students to the beach for dives and making them bring back solid waste. I did 200 of those beach clean-ups. I got a bunch of awards from the island. The diving industry gave me an award for that.

Ive done long-distance swimming. I swam non-stop from St. Thomas to Puerto Rico when I was 55 years old for 30 hours to raise awareness of senior citizen fitness. And I swam the English Channel with my familya mother, father, and four kids. That was to raise awareness of family togetherness.

The last thing I did was a 24 hours swim in the ocean for AIDS awareness as every 24 hours, four people died from AIDS in Puerto Rico. So, I swam non-stop at a beach front for 24 hours.

All the long-distance swims I didI never made a dime on any of them. One of them took thirty days and I used my own vacation time. There used to be a radio program here called Living Legends. Theyd start on a Monday and say two things about a person, then [more] on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. On Friday, theyd wrap it all up and spend the whole hour [on the person].

I was one of those living legends. [Sometimes] Id meet someone and theyd say: Mr. Hauck living legend!

Im a legend here in Puerto Rico; if I go someplace else, Im nobody. I lived here 54 years.

My life has been aquatics; I worked in a pool before I went in the Navy. I was in a bathing suit all the time I was in the Navy.

My whole life has basically been in a bathing suitand Puerto Ricos got the right attitude for me.

Read more:

Harry Hauck: Polo Pirate of the Caribbean - Swimming World Magazine

With development presently underway, the impressive 80,000 square foot structure is the largest of any single itelbpo facility to date. The building has already received Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status and will have the capacity to accommodate all of its existing Kingston-based team plus its growing staff count.

itelbpo Founding Chairman and CEO, Yoni Epstein, explained that "it will enable safe scalability as we maintain the trust of both existing and new employees and clients. After COVID hit, we went back to the drawing board and redesigned the approach to our new facilities, both in Kingston and Saint Lucia, to meet COVID safety requirements. The company has been agile and nimble amidst the COVID-19 crisis and this is just another opportunity for us to stay ahead of the game."

The island's global services sector attracts an estimated investment spend of US$700 million per year and employs over 40,000 people.St. James has traditionally been the center for contact center services on the island, but Kingston's strong pool of educated talent offers expansion opportunities for continued growth of the sector.

itelbpo has taken a deliberate and proactive approach to sustained business resiliency and remains resolute in its commitment to employee comfort and safety through this new project.

"The facility is being structurally designed to the specifications of established COVID-19 guidelines. These include a built-in HVAC system, general seating arrangements to allow excess space for social distancing between employees, two feet wide directional walkways so team members & guests won't come into contact with each other while traversing the building and cubicle partitions will be at a minimum of 36 inches, which is higher than normal, just to name a few," added Epstein. "Given that we have built it to spec with the COVID-19 virus in mind, we can actually operate onsite at a safe capacity while protecting the health and wellness of our team."

SOURCE ITELBPO GROUP

Home

Link:

itelbpo Builds First COVID-Designed Contact Centers in the Caribbean - PRNewswire

Royal Caribbean International has announced in a press release that it will be extending its Singapore season for Quantum of the Seas until June 21, 2021.

The cruise line resumed sailing on the vessel in December 2020 for short cruises to nowhere for Singapore residents only.

We are thrilled to announce the extension of the sailing season and look forward to having guests experience first-hand our signature cruise vacation that has wowed local cruisers already, with many booking repeat visits, said Royal Caribbeans Managing Director for Asia-Pacific, Angie Stephen.

Our close partnership with the Singapore Government has played an instrumental role in the success of these pilot cruises, and we remain committed to safeguarding the health and safety of our guests and crew during these additional sailings, she added.

The three-month extension will see holidaymakers be able to book two- to four-night Ocean Getaways with the same comprehensive health and safety measures in place, such as COVID-19 testing, reduced sailing capacity and social distancing onboard.

Royal Caribbean International adheres to the CruiseSafe Certification standards jointly developed by the Singapore Tourism Board and DNV GL.

Guests who book their voyages onboard the Quantum before Apr. 30, 2021, will be able to alter or cancel their booking up to 48 hours before sailing.

View original post here:

Royal Caribbean Extends Singapore Season for Quantum of the Seas - Cruise Industry News

Latin America and the Caribbean have been hit disproportionately hard by COVID-19.

The region has only 8% of the world's population, but it accounts for 28% of the world's coronavirus deaths. And as a developing region, it's had relatively little access to vaccines.

WLRN is committed to providing South Florida with trusted news and information. In these uncertain times, our mission is more vital than ever. Your support makes it possible. Please donate today. Thank you.

That's why COVAX is so important. Led by the World Health Organization, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the Global Vaccine Alliance, or GAVI, its goal is to make sure poor and middle-income countries get the COVID-19 vaccine doses they need.

Last week, COVAX announced its vaccine launch for Latin America and the Caribbean. Santiago Cornejo, a GAVI director and COVAXs country engagement director, spoke with WLRNs Tim Padgett from Geneva, Switzerland.

Here are some excerpts from their conversation:

WLRN: Santiago, you helped design the COVAX Facility. Explain to us what COVAX does, especially for smaller countries like Haiti or the Bahamas.

CORNEJO: We've created a global mechanism to have all countries be able to join. And the idea is to pool the demand, to pool the finances, and with all of these resources, to be able to negotiate with vaccine manufacturers and create a large portfolio of vaccines that then we would distribute in an equitable manner to all countries.

For small, low and lower-middle income countries, it would be very difficult without COVAX to be able to negotiate with manufacturers, because they know that the demand is much greater than the supply that would be available in the short term. But they are part of a larger pool, which brings them a greater purchasing power in our negotiations, and therefore they will benefit being part of this larger group.

READ MORE: As COVID-19 Ravages Latin America, Expat Families Confront 'Appalling' Tragedies

You're from Argentina. How urgently has the pandemic tragedy in Latin America and the Caribbean affected you personally as you approach COVAXs vaccine effort in the region?

Definitely. It really hurts to see the numbers in Latin America. It is the greatest priority that we have. So almost every country in Latin America and the Caribbean islands have joined the COVAX facility. Cuba is the only country in the region that has not been able to join the facility.

Santiago Cornejo

Why has Cuba not joined COVAX? Is it because they claim to be developing their own vaccine or because they just can't afford it?

We hope they will be able at some point, but at this moment they haven't been able to sign.

And Venezuela has joined, but has not made its $18 million payment to the COVAX fund yet?

We are still waiting for payments from Venezuela. In the meantime we are working [to see if they can] can use funding that's in other countries.

NEVER IN HISTORY

COVAX just announced that in the first half of this year, starting this month, it expects to deliver 35 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, and some other vaccines. And you mentioned the goal is to get at least three percent of each country's population covered by then?

Correct. So why three percent? We want to make sure first to cover their health workers, because we want to prevent health systems from collapsing. And then we move to populations that are at risk, the elderly or those with co-morbidities.

So COVAX is also involved in prioritizing who gets these doses.

Our objective is that this will be used following the WHO [World Health Organization] normative guidance.

What then is COVAXs is population coverage goal in Latin America and the Caribbean by the end of this year?

Our target is to reach more than 20% of their population, 280 million doses by the end of 2021.

COVAX country engagement director Santiago Cornejo

We've obviously had a lot of problems with vaccine distribution in the U.S. Has COVAX learned any lessons from our experience?

Yes, definitely. We are supporting countries to prepare in order to have national vaccine plans, to clarify which are the groups that need to be prioritized and how they will reach them. Also, we are looking at providing technical assistance and financial support for the required refrigeration equipment for the vaccines.

Right. Caribbean countries like the Dominican Republic just put out a special call for that kind of help, correct?

Correct.

But recent media reports suggest COVAX is behind schedule in securing enough vaccine doses. That's caused some panic in some Latin American and Caribbean countries, including Colombia, that haven't started vaccination programs yet.

In my opinion, we are on track, when you look at the current agreements that we have made and the current supply that we are projecting. But, yes, the anxiety for all of these countries definitely has created a lot of pressure.

But vaccine production is extremely complex. And we are seeing, for example, in Europe some problems in production and some delays. So that's why it's very important that we all understand that the effort to bring millions of doses in a very short period of time it has never been done in history.

See original here:

Vaccine Race: COVAX Launching Millions Of Doses For Latin America And Caribbean - WLRN

Wayne Ford|Athens Banner-Herald

Howard Scott veteran lawyer, freshman novelist, and yacht owner was sailing the high seas of the Caribbean on the night of Jan. 28 when he and the crew spied a distant flare blazing red in the dark sky.

We were in the middle of nowhere and it didnt come from land. We had no idea who was having an emergency so we changed course, Scott said recently in a phone interview from San Juan, Puerto Rico, where his yacht Capricho was in dock.

Scott, who is from Athens, and his crew were cruising that night from Turks and Caicos Islands to Puerto Rico, when they saw the flare over their starboard bow.

After crossing about five miles out of our normal course, we came up on a cargo ship capsized and four Dominican Republic nationals in the water, he said.

The anxious men, soaked with diesel fuel leaking from the overturned cargo ship, were waving their arms in an effort to attract attention from the men aboard the Capricho that included Capt. Ethan Olmstead of Key West, First Mate Eddie Linares of Hollywood, Fla., and Chief Steward Jordan Gallagher of New Bern, N.C.

Scott and the crew didnt want to be thrown against the cargo ship, so they circled the craft and tossed a life ring tied to a 100-foot rope to the stranded men.

We got them on board and found out there were four other crew members trapped under the capsized cargo ship. The captain believed that one was dead and three were alive, Scott said.

The men were trapped inside air pockets in the overturned craft, but the crew of the Capricho, without any diving equipment, had no way to rescue them, according to Scott.

We sounded our air horn four or five times to signal them to see if they could dive in and come out to the surface, but we got no response, he said.

A decision was made to radio for help and take the survivors back to Turks and Caicos, Scott said. They notified authorities and a rescue team was mobilized.

The crew aboard the Capricho was grateful for their rescue.

We gave them food and water and they collapsed on the back deck. They slept for five hours on the way back, he said. They were just exhausted.

When the Capricho reached the islands, the sun was rising and they learned authorities had sent out a rescue boat and a helicopter with divers.

They dropped the divers in (the ocean) so the divers rescued three more, Scott said, while a fourth man was not found and is presumed drowned.

The rescued men, Scott later learned, had been languishing in the water for more than nine hours.

They surmised that the engineer on board had turned a valve to let some water in the ballasts and they think he put in too much or he thought he turned it off, but didnt, Scott said.

When it got to the tipping point, it just turtled over and capsized within 10 seconds, Scott said.

The men had no radio to call for help, but, fortunately, they had a flare gun that eventually led to their rescue.

Back on the islands, a writer for the local newspaper, the Turks and Caicos Sun, interviewed Olmstead for a story on the lifesaving rescue.

It was a little emotional and tough to leave the scene knowing that there were three people there," Olmstead said, adding there was a sense of "helplessness" at being unable to help those trapped inside the vessel.

"But knowing that we got back here in time to get those three people rescued, it was a pretty good feeling, Olmstead told the Sun.

Scott, a longtime lawyer in Athens, recently released his first novel, one born of his experience of working as a lawyer. Rascal on the Run, has risen to number 3 on the new books sales category for Amazon.

More: Looking for a new read? Here are 5 books with authors tied to Athens area

The novel of murder and mystery in Scotts hometown of Athens has garnered what Howard called an incredible response.

Go to Amazon. There are a lot of reviews and they are mind blowing. You look at the reviews and youd think I paid somebody to write them, he joked.

He wrote the novel during his retirement, but Scott also spends time on the high seas exploring the tropical islands of the Caribbean on a yacht named Capricho, a Spanish word for whim.

Thats how we operate, the adventurer said, on a whim.

More here:

While sailing the Caribbean, Athens man, crew rescue members of capsized cargo ship - Online Athens

As the Mexican Caribbean continues to be one of the most-searched destinations for 2021, the region is continuing to freshen up and celebrate new openings that will impress even the most experienced travelers to Cancun and the Riviera Maya.

I have previously reported on many of these properties, such as the Hotel Xcaret Arte and Grupo Posadas' two properties, the Fiesta Americana Tulkal Riviera Maya and the Live Aqua Beach Resort Tulkal Riviera Maya. A new Hilton is anticipated to open, as well.

As for what has already opened, the destination has already seen the debut of the highly anticipated Planet Hollywood Beach Resort Cancun, which had been postponed for quite some time. The resort opened its doors on Jan. 29 in the Costa Mujeres section of Cancun.

Riviera Cancun recently saw the opening of the Secrets Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa, which is adjacent to Breathless Riviera Cancun. The Breathless Xhale Club buildings, which consisted of 164 rooms, were rebranded to adults-only Secrets rooms, which include 18 Master Suites and a Presidential Suite.

The Kibbeh restaurant has changed its name to Rosewater and is available exclusively for guests of the Secrets Riviera Cancun. What's more, guests of the Secrets will have access to the facilities of Breathless, which includes nine restaurants, nine bars and lounges and two pools.

Dining

As for new dining experiences, Cancun's Plaza La Isla II opened several new restaurants, including Kai, which serves Asian cuisine; steakhouse Vicente Asador de Brasa; and La 3a Ronda, which serves Mexican cuisine. In the Hotel Zone, diners can find Babel Odissea Culinary, a new 12-restaurant complex that features more than 120 different dishes.

A new restaurant, Chambao Grillhouse, opened in both Cancun and Tulum. Muyal Tulum opened in the hotel zone of Tulum, featuring Oaxacan favorites and Yucatecan specialties. In Playa del Carmen, Las Hijas de la Tostada opened a new beach club, serving seafood and offering views of the Caribbean Sea.

As for hotel dining, Paradisus by Melia has recently opened Sal Steak Restaurant at both its Playa del Carmen and Cancun properties.

Activities

As for activities, Cozumel has launched the new Clear Boat Tour, which is just as it sounds -- an afternoon sail on a transparent boat, which allows travelers to enjoy an uninterrupted panoramic view of the seafloor.

Mystika Tulum, concept created by photographer Pepe Soho, has debuted, as well. The immersive museum takes visitors on a sensory journey that highlights Mayan cosmology, Mexico's landscapes and the connection between the two.

Originally posted here:

A lot new under the sun in the Mexican Caribbean - Travel Weekly

With 2020 forcing the sale of several iconic cruise ships and new regulations threatening to disrupt the onboard experience as we know it, I've been thinking a lot about how the cruise industry has changed over the past three decades.

Change is inevitable part of life, and it includes cruise ships.

Temperature checks, mask wearing and bubble excursions aside, here are some of the key ways that cruises have evolved since 1990.

Technology has taken over life in a big way, and cruises have kept up the pace. Onboard internet capabilities have gone from nonexistant to unreliable to nearly the same as what you'll find on land, allowing passengers to stay more connected than ever.

Beyond that, room keys have progressed from manual styles and keycards to wearables and cell phone apps that make opening your cabin door a snap. Giant screens near elevator bays on the latest ships allow cruisers to easily find their way around their vessel, check the daily schedule and make dinner reservations.

Mix in arcades that feature virtual-reality simulations and cutting-edge systems on the bridge that allow the captain to keep the ship in one place without using an anchor, and it's easy to see how today's experiences might have seemed like something out of "The Jetsons" several decades ago.

From 1990 to 1995, at more than 76,000 tons and carrying nearly 2,500 passengers, Norwegian Cruise Line's SS Norway was the largest ship afloat.

In 1995, a megaship boom began with Princess Cruises' Sun Princess (nearly 77,500 GRT, 2,000 passengers), which unseated SS Norway in terms of tonnage. Progressively larger vessels emerged from Carnival, Princess and Royal Caribbean, causing the title of largest ship to change hands every couple of years into the early 2000s.

In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class vessels dwarfed anything the cruise world had seen. Fast forward to 2021, and the largest ship at sea is now Symphony of the Seas, which is a massive 230,000 tons and can carry nearly 7,000 cruisers -- roughly three times the tonnage and passenger capacity of SS Norway.

Think back to family vacations and honeymoons of yore, and you might remember shooting skeet or driving golf balls off the back of the ship into the wake. To say nothing of the dangers of handing shotguns to passengers, cruise lines have curtailed these activities as environmental regulations have tightened.

Beanbag games also seem to have gone the way of the dodo, but you'll still find shuffleboard courts on most modern ships, along with other diversions you have to see to believe.

Among the impressive list of offerings are simulated surfing, skydiving and racecar driving; rock climbing; ropes courses; multiple pools with adrenaline-pumping waterslides; and even a roller coaster.

In terms of shows, no longer are you limited to steel-drum bands, solo crooners and crusty Las Vegas-style performances. Cruise lines have traded in the feathers and sequins for the stunning costumes of Cirque du Soleil, and Broadway revues have been replaced by full-on Broadway productions.

While comedians and magicians remain, these days cruisers will find everything from acrobats and modern hip-hop performances to ice skaters backed by choreographed drones.

Remember when everyone was assigned a set dining time at the same table with the same waiter each night, and the only choices were the main dining room, the buffet or room service?

Now passengers have dozens of choices (both free and for a fee) that let them choose when and where they eat, with venues dedicated to a variety of cuisines that range from Italian, Asian and French to seafood, steak and pub grub.

Quirks abound, as well. Among the choices on select ships are restaurants and bars where you'll order from a tablet instead of a standard menu, dinner theater that includes a show with your meal, interactive experiences where you can watch miniature chefs cook your food, and delightfully prepared themed dishes that feature surprises in every course.

Over the years, vacations have become less about putting on airs and more about comfort and relaxation. In that vein, many modes of travel -- including cruising -- have adopted a more casual vibe.

Most mainstream lines have made formal nights optional, even changing the terminology to comprise monikers like "cruise elegant" and "evening chic." Where once only tuxedos and cocktail dresses were acceptable, cruisers can now get away with suits or blazers with slacks, or skirts with blouses.

Further, current daytime attire onboard has trended toward shorts or jeans with tank tops or T-shirts. It's also not uncommon to see sneakers, flip-flops, bathing suits with cover-ups, and baseball caps in all areas of the ship.

Although most mainstream cruise lines were never all-inclusive, they have found more ways than ever to give passengers add-ons to buy.

From pricey booze, trendy specialty coffee and custom shore excursions to art auctions, unique spa treatments and priority boarding perks, there's always something extra to increase the overall cost of your voyage.

The most recent of these added-fee draws include laser tag and escape rooms, cooking classes, top-deck diversions and even big-name land-based brands like Starbucks, Victoria's Secret and Tiffany's as additions to vessels' onboard shops.

The early days of cruising mainly consisted of ocean liners that crossed the Atlantic to transport passengers between the U.S. and Europe. Class systems were heavily enforced onboard, meaning that there were hard separations between those booked in first-, second- and third-class cabins.

Modern cruising did away with such systems, but in the early 2010s, cruise lines began exploring the concept of "ship within a ship" enclaves to provide wealthy cruisers with lavish suites, exclusive perks and access to private areas.

All cabins have seen facelifts in recent decades. Old, boxy analog TVs were replaced with flat-screened digital ones, and color palettes have largely moved from gaudy, tacky tropical hues to neutrals, accented by jewel tones.

Decor aside, certain staterooms stand out from the crowd with spaces that span two decks, feature private hot tubs and saunas, include virtual balconies and portholes, and provide foosball tables and slides for kids.

More widespread modern touches include USB ports for charging electronics and light switches that only work if you insert your room key.

Cruise ships are some of the planet's biggest polluters, but the industry has made meaningful strides to protect the environment in recent years.

For decades, cruise ships operated on diesel fuels that contaminated the air with little regulation. In 2009, cruise lines were told they would have to reduce their ships' emissions within designated North American emission control areas by 2015.

As a result, fleets underwent the expensive addition of scrubbers to filter particulates and harmful gases from vessel funnels. Several cruise lines have also started building new ships that run on liquefied natural gas -- a cleaner-burning fuel -- and even battery power.

Onboard, crew sort and recycle just about all waste, and old linens are donated ashore. Most mainstream cruise lines have also undertaken efforts to reduce or eliminate single-use plastic straws, cups and utensils.

As with flights, cruises have tighter security measures since 9/11, which mean you now have to book more than two days from the sailing date, your luggage will be scanned before you board, and you're no longer allowed to bring guests onboard in port.

Additionally, open-bridge policies have become significantly more strict. Special permission or a guided tour (often for a fee) is generally the only way to access the main control center.

For safety reasons, the list of banned items for some lines has also grown to include newfangled contraptions like sneakers with built-in roller skates, certain hairstyling tools, drones and e-cigarettes.

Speaking of e-cigarettes, the policies for lighting up at sea have changed quite a bit since the '90s. Smoking of all types -- cigarettes, pipes and cigars -- was commonplace on most lines' ships back then.

In 1998, Carnival Cruise Line launched Paradise (now Carnival Paradise), the first completely nonsmoking vessel. Five years later, in 2003, the line removed the designation, claiming that it was losing out on revenue from smokers, who apparently also like to drink and gamble.

Although the original concept fell flat, cruise lines began phasing out smoking in most public areas in the early 2010s. Now, most vessels no longer allow passengers to smoke on their stateroom balconies or in the casino and, instead, require them to head to a limited number of designated outdoor areas.

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10 Ways Cruising Has Changed in the Last 30 Years - Royal Caribbean Blog