Category Archives: Caribbean

Un grupo de participantes en el Conteo Navideo de Aves, en Ibagu, Colombia. Foto: Miguel Moreno-Palacios

Begun on Christmas Day of 1900, Audubons Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a bird census that has been conducted every season for more than 120 years now.From the first season, the CBC was continental in scope and international in nature, with counts included from the Atlantic to Pacific coasts and in both the United States and Canada. That first season there were 25 counts conducted by 27 people; in recent years the number has grown to more than 2,600 counts and around 80,000 observers. The database that has developed is now one of the most important tools available to ornithologists and conservation scientists to study the status and ranges of species of birds of the hemisphere.

The enhanced value of the CBC dataset comes because its not only the bird data that are included, but also the effort expended to tally the birds.Most researchers analyze CBC data using effort-weighted data, termed birds per party-hour, to do their studies.Especially when analyzed in decade-long intervals, Christmas Bird Count data can clearly show both how species are doing in numbers over time (trend data) and also where species are found over time (range shifting).We are continuing to learn a tremendous amount about the status of birds in the United States and Canada thanks to the CBC.

Until the 72nd Christmas Bird Count season, all counts included were conducted in the United States and Canada.Beginning with the 73rd CBC (which took place the winter of 1972/1973), counts were also included from Latin America and the Caribbean, specifically in Belize, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.The count has grown tremendously in Latin America and the Caribbean since then, with counts set up in 28 different countriesplus Antarctica!

Since the history of the Christmas Bird Count is shorter outside the United States and Canada and given that data are best analyzed in decade-long intervals, we are only just beginning to learn about the status of the avifauna in the regions south of the United States.There are many avenues of inquiryfrom learning trend data of resident species in Latin America and potential local movements from year to year, to assessing where, and in what numbers, Neotropical migrant species are spending their time in the non-breeding season.An exciting first peer-reviewed scientific paper was published recently using CBC results from the Sabana de Bogot, Cundinamarca, Colombiaa great beginning to the analyses of Christmas Bird Count data in South America.

Below is a summary of the Christmas Bird Count effort thus far in Latin America and the Caribbean.Both Mexico and Colombia have more than 90 circles set up in the database, by far the most of any country outside Canada and the United States.And new counts are set up every year!Not every circle is able to be conducted every season, but this shows the amazing potential for analyses of the status and distribution of bird species across the Western Hemisphere.

Participating on a Christmas Bird Count is a fun way to see birds, enjoy our special patches, and spend time with friends outdoors.And by doing so we all make very important contributions to help protect the birds we know and love.

Christmas Bird Counts in Latin America and the Caribbean, by country

Trinidad from 77th CBCBrazil from 89th CBCColombia from 90th (CLSB), more from 108th to present Colombia has the highest number of circles of any country outside US and Canada (99 counts)Ecuador from 95th CBCAlso counts in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

Belize since 73rd CBCMexico since 73rd CBC (94 counts)Panama since 74th CBCCosta Rica since 85th CBCAlso counts in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua

Puerto Rico since 73rd CBCVirgin Islands since 73rd CBCBermuda since 76th CBCDominican Republic since 76th CBCBahamas since 85th CBCHaiti since 111th CBCCuba since 112th CBCAlso counts in Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica

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Christmas Bird Counts in Latin America and the Caribbean Add Valuable Bird Data - National Audubon Society

Disneys latest attempt to sink a lawsuit over the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has been scuttled by a California federal judge.

In November 2017, A. Lee Alfred II and Ezequiel Martinez Jr. sued Disney over the franchise. The duo claims their spec script defied pirate topes by having Davy Jones be funny instead of fearsome, and their work was plundered to create Jack Sparrow after their producer sent it to Disney.

Disney seemed to have defeated the suit in May 2019 when District Court Judge Consuelo B. Marshall granted its motion to dismiss, finding the similar elements between the 2000 spec and 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl were largely unprotectable generic pirate fare but in July 2020 the matter was revived by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of appeals, which found the screenplay shares sufficient similarities with the film to survive a motion to dismiss.

The appeals court found it premature to definitively determine the similar elements are unprotectable and additional evidence and expert testimony would help. States the opinion, This would be particularly useful in this circumstance, where the works in question are almost twenty years old and the blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise may itself have shaped what are now considered pirate-movie tropes.

Alfred and Martinez filed an amended complaint, and now Marshall has denied Disneys motion for summary judgment because of conflicting expert testimony.

While Disney had argued the writers expert is unfamiliar with the pirate genre and the legal analysis used to evaluate substantial similarity, notes Marshall, These arguments go to the weight of Plaintiffs expert report, and the Court cannot weigh evidence on summary judgment.

Plaintiffs expert opines that the parties works are substantially similar and have original elements in common, whereas Defendants expert opines that the parties works are not substantially similar and common elements in the parties works are common in the pirate genre generally, writes Marshall in the order, which is embedded below. The opinions from the parties experts thus creates a genuine issue of material fact in dispute regarding whether the works are substantially similar.

Original post:

Disney Cant Sink Pirates of the Caribbean Suit Over Jack Sparrow Character - Hollywood Reporter

Our cruise is here, and we're ready to board Navigator of the Seas for a 7-night Mexican Riviera cruise.

My family and I flew from Orlando to Los Angeles earlier this week, so we could spend a few extra days in Los Angeles and take the kids to Disneyland.

The flight over was great, and we stayed at the Residence Inn Anaheim near the Convention Center. It was walkable to Disneyland, and a 40 minute Lyft ride to the port.

Our embarkation time was 12:30pm, so we hung out at the hotel before requesting a Lyft to take us to the port.

When we arrived at the terminal, no one checked anyone's boarding times and was just allowing anyone to check-in. This was disappointing, because not only is it the opposite of what Royal Caribbean has been preaching about the importance of check-in times, but it made for a much more crowded and slow check-in procedure.

Be sure to print out your luggage tags before the cruise, because there was a huge line for people who needed luggage tags. It seems the porters in Los Angeles do not have extra luggage tags on them like the porters in Florida or New York do.

Our kids (6 and 11 years old) are fully vaccinated, so I knew we'd have to still jump through a few hurdles to prove they are vaccinated. Royal Caribbean's check-in system has no mechanism yet to distinguish between vaccinated kids and unvaccinated kids.

We had to first go to the testing area to prove they were vaccinated and skip the test. Then, we had to wait in another (longer) line at check-in for them to once again prove the kids were vaccinated.

The rest of the check-in procedure was easy enough, and we made it onboard the ship.

Navigator looks great, and it's my first time back onboard since 2019.

We knocked out the emuster drill as soon as we could. So easy and fast!

The cabins were not ready until 1pm, so we went up to the pool deck to relax. Kids ate ice cream, while I enjoyed the very comfortable outdoor temperatures. It was partially sunny with highs in the upper 60s.

My wife went to the spa for a pre-booked massage.

The rooms opened up at 1pm. We have two connecting balcony cabins on this cruise, right near the elevator. I'm a big fan of two connecting rooms rather than one cabin with kids. The extra space and bathroom make a big difference.

Next stop was Adventure Ocean to register the kids. I'm disappointed with the Covid restrictions Adventure Ocean has currently. Families are limited to one reservation for the entire 7-night cruise.

If Royal Caribbean feels good about increasing the ship's capacity, Adventure Ocean has to scale up proportionally to match.

I'm hopeful there will be more space available later in the sailing, but the staff gave no indication to expect more times other than to luck out with extra spots. Alas, I know we'll have a good time, but it makes planning for families more of a challenge.

For lunch, we stopped by the Windjammer. Like much of the ship, there's plenty of Christmas decorations, including a gingerbread village.

Speaking of decorations, there is the large tree on the Royal Promenade too.

I also noticed a mailbox for letters to Santa near Guest Services.

Back in the room, it was time to get ready for our evening activities.

As you may know, Royal Caribbean announced last week stricter face mask rules. Those new rules are in place for this sailing, which basically mean you cannot take your mask off for being vaccinated in a vaccinated-zone.

Likewise, you cannot walk around with a drink or piece of food without a mask. So far on the first day, mask compliance has been pretty good across the ship.

I ran up to the pool deck to catch the evening sunset. Too many clouds to make for a great sunset, but the colors in the sky were nice.

While on the top deck, there was a hot chocolate station set up, where you could optionally get liquor added to it for the adults.

Dinner tonight was in the main dining room. I had gone down earlier to check with the head waiter about our table assignment to ensure we weren't in the unvaccinated deck, and sure enough we were not.

The dining room was pretty full, and decorated for Christmas.

After dinner, we took a stroll down the Royal Promenade and checked out the Bamboo Room.

At about 8:30 I called Adventure Ocean to see if there were any spots (they opened at 8pm on the first day) and sure enough there were! I dropped the kids off, and then met my wife back in the English style pub.

I love the music of the pub, which always has a guitarist playing.

On this ship, some friends that had sailed a few times on Navigator since the restart had "warned" the pub staff to expect me, and we had a nice laugh together.

Tomorrow is a sea day, as we sail south to Mexico.

Guest services told me on two separate occasions we have about 2600 passengers onboard. They did not yet have a final count, but said we are at about 60% capacity on this sailing.

We have the new cans of water on Navigator (instead of the bottles).

The Windjammer is open for dinner on this sailing.

Continue reading here:

Navigator of the Seas Live Blog - Day 1 - Embarkation Day - Royal Caribbean Blog

Photo: Eduardo Leite (L), Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, with his boyfriend, Thalis Bolzan. Source: O Globo

This year brought a number of welcomed changes on behalf of LGBT rights, as well as reminders of challenges ahead. Homophobia is still rampant, and in some sectors and governments, it may be intensifying. A new report documented the economic costs of homo- and transphobia in the Caribbean, and the numbers are staggering. On the positive side, Brazilians learned they have a gay governor; evidence is surfacing that LGBTQ acceptance is expanding in some countries; the status of LGBTQ people in sports continues to make positive headlines; and Chile adopted full marriage equality.

Here is my list of the top ten LGBTQ stories from Latin America and the Caribbean in 2021.

10. MAQA: Make the Americas Queer Again

In a departure from the Trump years, the Biden administration is returning to the Obama-era policy of placing LGBTQ issues at the center of human rights promotion in the Americas. In April, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris mentioned that violence against LGBTQ people is one of the root causes of migration in Central America. During her June visit to Guatemala, Harris met with representatives from Visibles, a local NGO defending LGBTQ rights, and the Association of Garfuna Women Living with HIV/AIDS.

9. (Homophobic) Culture is Not Static

A new report published in 2021 shows that social attitudes toward LGBTQ people can continue to change with time, in either direction. In countries that at some point achieve a critical mass of social acceptance of LGBTQ people, with time, this acceptance actually increases (e.g., Argentina, Brazil, Chile). By contrast, in countries that dont reach such a critical mass of support, acceptance toward LGBTQ people can stagnate (e.g., Peru) or even decline (e.g., Jamaica). This research suggests that it pays to reinvest. Pro-LGBT activism is essential to change social attitudes, and once a threshold of social acceptance is crossed, reinvesting in more pro-LGBT campaigns can yield new payoffs in terms of expanding acceptance. In those countries, campaigns by homo- and transphobes seem not to make huge inroads. However, the reverse may be true in countries that never managed to achieve a critical mass of societal support for LGBTQ rights. In these less-accepting countries, the campaigns by homo and transphobic movements may have a greater impact than elsewhere.

8. Gay Gaucho

Eduardo Leite, 36, governor of the gaucho state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (population 11.3 million), came out publicly: I am gay. And I am proud of that. While widely celebrated by many people on social media, Leites disclosure was somewhat controversial because, while in the closet, he supported Brazils publicly homophobic president, Jair Bolsonaro. Leites coming out is nonetheless important because in the Americas there are few openly-out elected leaders, and in Latin America in particular, even openly-out politicians are rare. Leite has since expressed regret for voting for Bolsonaro and has disclosed that he has presidential aspirations.

7. The X Factor

Argentina became the first Latin American nation to introduce the option X as one of the gender preferences that citizens can select in national identity documents and passports. The new system was introduced through a presidential decree. X will refer to non-binary, undetermined, unspecified, undefined, not informed, self-perceived, nor recorded; or another meaning with which the person who does not feel included in the masculine/feminine binary could identify. The International Civil Aviation Organization, the agency that sets regulations for passports, already allows the X category; about 12 countries including the United States, India, and Nepal have adopted this system.

6. Gay Brain Drain

A new report concluded that English-speaking Caribbean nations are losing between US $1.5 to $4 billion a year (2.1 to 5.7 percent of collective GDP) in missing tourism, productivity, and brain drain as a result of anti-LGBTQ laws and attitudes. One of the reports innovations is to study the cost of homophobia and transphobia by surveying the diasporic community, among other demographics. Many English-speaking Caribbean nations have LGBTQ-unfriendly conditions, including bans on homosexuality, non-recognition of civil unions, and high-levels of public intolerance. That said, the region continues to take positive steps in favor of acceptance. The Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory (pop. 71K) held its first Gay Pride in July. Guyana de-criminalized cross-dressing in August.

5. Change That Tune

The International Federation of Association Football, FIFA, sanctioned the mens national football team from Mexico twice in 2021. The reason is that fans continue to use the homophobic word puto in their chants. In Mexico, the term is often used as derogatory slur for a gay man. Fans have been chanting the word during opposing goal kicks for years. FIFAs sanctions this year included monetary fines and a ban on spectators at various important games. The Mexican federation has been sanctioned for this chant so many times since 2015 that it is difficult to keep count.

4. When All Else Fails, International Tribunals Can Help

Two separate tribunals affiliated with the OASthe Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court on Human Rightsmade landmark decisions advancing LGBT acceptance. In February, the Commission made public a previously confidential ruling that Jamaica violated the rights of a gay man and a lesbian with its 1864 law banning homosexual acts (the Offences Against the Person Act, otherwise known as the buggery statute). LGBT activists hailed this ruling as a landmark case that could prompt the government to decriminalize homosexuality. In June, the Court found the government of Honduras responsible for the killing of a transgender woman in 2009 and ordered the government to pay reparations to the family and to do more on behalf of the trans community. This ruling is important because Honduras is one of the countries in the Americas with the highest rates of reported hate crimes against the trans community.

3. Latin Greek Godxs

Of the 186 openly LGBTQ athletes that competed at the Tokyo Summer Olympics, 29 were from Latin America and the Caribbean. This was a record for both the world and the region. With 18 athletes each, Brazil and Canada sent the worlds second largest LGBTQ delegations, after the United States (36 athletes). Two athletes each from Argentina, Mexico, Chile, and Puerto Rico, and one each from Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, and Venezuela also competed.

2. State-Led Homophobia Continues to Be Another Virus of Our Time

While Latin America has made impressive gains in combatting state-led homophobia since the 2000s, a few governments are seriously lagging. In January, Venezuelan military officials raided the offices of Azul Positivo, an NGO offering services for HIV/AIDS patients in Maracaibo, arresting five staff members on charges of fraud and money laundering and prompting outcries from international organizations, including the United Nations. In July, the Cuban government arrested or harassed a number of LGBT activists who supported the widespread protests of July 11, including Maykel Gonzlez Vivero, editor of Tremenda Nota, a newsletter covering LGBTQ issues. In August, the Nicaraguan government shut down 15 NGOs, including Fundacin Xochiquetzal, the countrys oldest pro-LGBTQ rights group, as part of its vicious, pre-electoral crackdown. In addition, state agents and pro-government civic groups conducted 54 acts of aggression against members of the LGBT community between January and September. In El Salvador, president Nayib Bukele boasted that the reforms to the constitution he is planning to introduce will include a number of new presidential rights, including the right to re-election, but will not include same-sex marriage (and abortion rights), proving that not all millennials are that liberal. Perus newly-elected president, Pedro Castillo, a left-wing populist who was a rural teacher before becoming president, publicly expressed his opposition to same-sex marriage during the campaign and stated that LGBTQ issues are not a priority.

1. The Right Thing To Do

Chile became the eighth Latin American nation to legalize same-sex marriage, following the steps of Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Mexico, which has same-sex marriage in 24 of 32 states, as well as Mexico City. The Chilean decision is remarkable for a number of reasons. First, it represents the second time a center-right president in Latin America endorses the change (the first one was Juan Manuel Santos in Colombia). In Chile, center-right president Sebastin Piera declared his support for the bill in June, as well as his desire to treat the issue with urgency. This was instrumental for getting congressional approval this year. Second, it is the third case in Latin America of approval via national legislature rather than by court mandate. Chile represents one of the fastest transforming countries in the world in terms of LGBT rights. Fewer than nine years ago, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights famously indicted Chiles anti-LGBT policies when it ruled in favor of Karen Atala, a mother who had sued the Chilean state for losing custody of her sons for being a lesbian. Since then, Chile has established military service rights for LGBTQ people, anti-discrimination laws, anti-hate crime laws, civil unions, adoption rights laws, gender identity laws, and now, marriage equality. A famous Chilean expression al tiro, meaning right away, may very well describe how Chile transformed itself into one of the worlds most important champions of LGBT rights not long after it was sanctioned.

Javier Corrales is Dwight W. Morrow 1895 professor and chair of Political Science at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. He is the author of The Politics ofLGBTQ Rights Expansionin Latin America and the Caribbean (Cambridge Elements, Cambridge University Press, 2022).

See also: The Top Ten LGBTQ Stories of 2020 from Latin America and the Caribbean

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The Top Ten LGBTQ Stories of 2021 from Latin America and the Caribbean - Global Americans

By NAN Staff Writer

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Dec. 17, 2021: Nine Caribbean countries have the lowest rates of persons fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccines currently, News Americas has found.

All 9 fall below 40 percent of fully vaccinated nationals. They are:

1: Haiti

Haiti has the lowest vaccinated rate from the virus with just .58 percent of its population of 11.4 million fully vaccinated. .44 percent is partially vaccinated.

2: Jamaica

Jamaica has the second lowest rate of fully vaccinated persons at just 18 percent of its 2.9 million population fully vaccinated. Some 5.23 percent are now partially vaccinated.

3: St. Vincent and the Grenadines

St. Vincent and the Grenadines has the third lowest rates with just about 22 percent fully vaccinated. Another 5.23 percent have been partially vaccinated.

4: St. Lucia

Coming in at fourth is St. Lucia at 26 percent of fully vaccinated persons. Another 3.88 percent are now partially vaccinated.

5: Grenada

In the Spice Island of Grenada less than 31 percent of its population is fully vaccinated while another 5.28 are partially vaccinated.

6: Guyana

Guyana has just over 36 percent of its population fully vaccinated but another 15.1 percent are now partially vaccinated.

7: Bahamas

In the Bahamas, home to about 400,000 people, the fully vaccinated rate is less than 37 percent while just 2.88 percent have so far been partially vaccinated.

8: Dominica

In the Commonwealth of Dominica, less than 38 percent of its population is fully vaccinated with just 2.58 percent partially vaccinated.

9: Suriname

Suriname takes the eighth spot with a fully vaccinated rate of less than 38 percent as well while 2.58 percent are also now partially vaccinated.

9: Guyana

Guyana rounds out the ninth spot with

Across the region, the Cayman Islands has the highest fully vaccinated rate at almost 85 percent while Cuba is second with just about 83 percent of its population fully vaccinated.

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These Caribbean Countries Have The Lowest Rate Of Fully Vaccinated People - Caribbean and Latin America Daily News - News Americas

The books title comes from William Wordsworths 1802 tribute to the Haitian revolutionary Toussaint LOuverture: Theres not a breathing of the common wind/That will forget thee a wind that carried ideas spread by sailors, enslaved people and free people of color engaged in Atlantic trade.

Julius Sherrod Scott III was born on July 31, 1955, in Marshall, Texas, near the Louisiana border. His father, a Methodist minister, was president of Wiley College in Marshall (as was his grandfather) and in 1970 was named executive director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta. Dr. Scotts mother, Ianthia (Harrell) Scott, was a librarian.

In 1961, Scotty, as he was known, was one of two Black students who integrated the first grade at the MacGregor Elementary School in south central Houston. The white students had separate restrooms for boys and girls. Scotty and the Black girl in his class were relegated to a single separate restroom outside the school.

His parents learned about the separate facilities only when they overheard their son saying his prayers: Thank you, God, for letting me have my own bathroom at school.

Publicity about his parents protests to the school board prompted teachers to allow both Black first graders to use the indoor restrooms. After Scotty completed the second grade, the family moved to Providence, R.I., where his father became assistant chaplain at Brown University.

Dr. Scott graduated from Brown with a bachelors degree in history in 1977 and earned his doctorate at Duke. In addition to Professor Renne, he is survived by his mother and two brothers, David and Lamar Scott.

Dr. Scott was inspired to write his book as a teenager, he said, while watching the 1968 Olympics from Mexico City, where several athletes from the United States gave Black Power salutes, prompting him to consider their relationship and means of communication with Black athletes from Africa, the Caribbean and South America.

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Julius S. Scott, Groundbreaking Historian of the Caribbean, Dies at 66 - The New York Times

It will be the busiest week in a very long time for St Kitts this week. The island has been scaling up cruise tourism for some time now, culminating this week with no less than twenty-one cruise ships visiting the four ports capable of receiving cruise ships.

While many expected the cruise industry and ports recovery to take many years, in the case of St. Kitts, this seems not to be the case. In recent weeks we reported record day totals with multiple ships visiting on one day; this week shows the unstoppable comeback that the St. Kitts tourism ministry has orchestrated.

Port Zante, Basseterre Harbour, Deep Water Harbour, and South Friars Bay will be busy this week as St. Kitts prepares to welcome twenty-one cruise ships in one week. Today, December 16, will be the busiest day so far for the Caribbean island as it expects visits from no less than six cruise ships on one day.

Royal Clipper, Caribbean Princess, Viking Sea, Allure of the Seas, Silver Spirit, and Marella Discovery are all expected to arrive in port today or are already there. It is the busiest day since the island opened its borders for international cruise tourism in July of this year.

This week comes as an optimistic sign that the cruising industry is making an unstoppable comeback in St. Kitts. We see the number of ship arrivals growing weekly, said Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism, Transport, and Ports. Our commitment to safety paired with our exceptional tours and on-island experiences are driving high demand for the destination on cruise itineraries, and we expect this to continue well into 2022.

Although St. Kitts opened for cruises months ago, the start has been slow and steady as the popular cruise destination opened up step by step. The government recently allowed cruise passengers to roam free through the historic area around Port Zante.

At the same time, local merchants and tour providers can also come into the port area to sell their goods. Approved tours, attractions, restaurants, and bars are also open to all fully vaccinated travelers, nationals, and residents.

This busy cruise week shows that demand for our destination continues to grow, said Racquel Brown, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. The reduced travel restrictions make it easier for cruise and international air travelers to engage their senses and seamlessly immerse themselves in our quintessential Caribbean escape.

For the remainder of the month, the twin islands of St. Kitts and Nevis will remain busy, with another 38 cruise ship calls expected through the end of the year. Cruise lines that will call in St. Kitts include Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Cunard, AIDA, NCL, MSC, and many more. Once known as the gateway to the Caribbean, St. Kitts and Nevis are not just beaches and beach bars.

Also Read: Major Milestone for Caribbean Cruise Port as Four Ships Visit in One Day

Guests can explore the stunning natural beauty of the islands by zipline, speed boat, or jeep safari. The islands also boast the only scenic passenger train that takes guests on a 3-hour tour that makes a 30-mile circle around the beautiful Eastern Caribbean island, with 18 miles by narrow gauge train and 12 miles on sightseeing buses.

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21 Cruise Ships to Dock in One Week for Caribbean Destination - Cruise Hive

It goes without saying that the pandemic was a tough time to be a hospitality developer.

[Projects] in the Caribbean were all delayed, RAL Companies Robert A. Levine told TRDs Amir Korangy in the latest episode of Coffee Talk.

Today, although the pandemic rages on, the tide seems to be turning for resort developers like Levine, who has ongoing construction in the Cayman Islands and Puerto Rico. In conversation with Korangy, Levine explained the scope of some of those island projects, as well as the challenges involved in getting them done and building partnerships with top hospitality brands like the Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental.

The developer isnt a stranger to large projects, both overseas and closer to home. Levine, who was born and raised in Flatbush, developed the ambitious One Brooklyn Bridge Park condo building on a site he bought from the Jehovahs Witnesses as DUMBO prepared to go through a rezoning in the late aughts.

[The project] had influence on a lot of the development of Brooklyn Bridge Park around it, Levine said, laying out his process for working with the city to negotiate easements and incorporate the development into the larger landscape of Brooklyns waterfront.

Though the process could be convoluted, it isnt what it once was the building department was a very different place in the 21st century than it was in the earlier years of his career, Levine said, hinting at the citys bygone era of greased palms and sealed envelopes.

Watch the video above for more.

Excerpt from:

Watch: Robert A. Levine on building from Brooklyn to the Caribbean - The Real Deal

Going on a back-to-back cruise means doing more than one cruise on the same cruise ship, and it's a popular way for passengers to extend their vacation fun beyond any published itinerary.

If you have ever gotten to the end of a trip and thought to yourself, "wouldn't it be nice to stay longer?", then a back-to-back cruise might be exactly what you want.

Many veteran cruisers will do multiple cruises in a row as a way to spend more time on a ship. Doing a back-to-back cruise comes with its own set of nuances and procedures that may give someone trying it for the first time a little bit of concern.

The good news is a back-to-back cruise is as fun as it sounds, and a very smooth process. Here's what you need to know about it all.

When someone says they are doing a back-to-back cruise, it means they are doing multiple cruises in a row on the same ship.

Rather than get off the ship at the end of the cruise, they are remaining onboard for another sailing.

Royal Caribbean refers to such guests "Consecutive Cruisers".

A similar concept is when someone goes on a sailing on one ship and then disembarks to board a different ship right after. That is known as a "side-to-side" cruise.

There are many reasons to consider doing more than one cruise in a row. The most obvious is to prolong your vacation, but there are other rationales as well.

Back to back cruises can allow you to maximize the value of your airfare. Rather than fly down for a 3-night cruise, doing a back-to-back means you get more time on the ship to justify the airline price.

In addition, doing a back-to-back cruise can expand the ports you visit. It is not uncommon for a ship to sail one itinerary and then follow it up with a different itinerary. In the Caribbean, ships often alternative between Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries. A back-to-back allows you to do both.

Speaking of itineraries, it also has an advantage if you are considering an open-jaw sailing. In Alaska, some sailings begin in one port and end in another. By doing a back-to-back, you can avoid having to deal with flying to and from different cities.

The procedure for a back-to-back cruise is usually the same for most passengers.

Once on board the first cruise it's always a good idea to stop by Guest Services and ensure they have you on the list as a consecutive cruiser, otherwise they expect you to leave like a regular guest at the end of the first cruise.

Towards the end of the first sailing, passengers staying onboard for the next sailing will receive a letter in their stateroom on what to do on turnaround day.

In most cases, the letter instructs the passenger to report to a venue at a specific time.

When they arrive, a crew member will take their name and stateroom and sign them in. Once all the other passengers are off the ship, guests staying onboard are escorted to the gangway where they scan their old SeaPass card and then are given new SeaPass cards to scan to begin the next sailing.

In the United States, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) dictates the process for consecutive cruisers. More often than not they will require all guests disembark so that the ship reaches "zero count" before they allow guests for the next sailing to begin boarding.

In some ports, consecutive cruisers are sometimes walked off the ship and into the terminal before returning onboard. In either case, back-to-back cruisers are the last passengers off the ship and the first ones back onboard.

Sometimes consecutive cruisers are offered a special lunch or sometimes they are offered sparkling wine and mimosas upon reboarding. This varies from ship to ship.

There are no specific back-to-back cruises to book; you simply book two cruises that happen to be one right after the other.

You book them as two separate cruises. It's on you or your travel agent to find cabins that meet your needs.

A good idea is to use two web browsers so you can do searches for cabins on two different dates at the same time.Find two dates and looking at each in a different browser to find cabins that are the same... or better yet, ask a travel agent to look for you.

You can always book another cruise later on and turn it into a back-to-back, butyou are less likely to find the same cabin.

If you booked the same stateroom, yes. Ultimately, it is up to you to book the same room.

The most desirable back-to-back sailing often means booking the same cabin for both cruises. There is no check box for this when searching for cruise, it's up to you or your travel agent to find a cabin that is available to book for both cruises. This is easier to do when booking cruises that are far in the future.

When booking the cruises closer to sail date, it's often difficult or impossible to book the same cabin for both cruises. The cruise line offers no assistance in this effort and they will not ask someone to change cabins so that you can stay on for the next cruise.

The advantage of having the same cabin for both sailings is you can leave your belongings in the cabin between cruises and even access your cabin while other rooms are being changed.

This is a bit of gray area, but usually your stateroom attendant will assist in the moving of luggage from one cabin to another.

Talk to your stateroom attendant towards the end of the first sailing about how to best move your belongings. Some attendants will offer to move everything for you, and some will instruct you to leave your bags outside the room to be moved.

To be perfectly honest, I always tip the stateroom attendant first for a job well done, andthenask about how to best move my luggage for the next sailing.

Generally there is no discount for doing multiple cruises in a row.

Royal Caribbean does not recognize a back-to-back cruise as anything but two separate reservations that just happen to be right after each other.

In some situations, there has been a discount offered for passengers to stay onboard for another sailing by booking the next sailing at the NextCruise office. This tends to be rare, and not something to count on being offered.

Yes, maritime law requires all passengers to conduct the mandatory safety drill on a cruise, regardless of if you did it last week or not.

While you are doing consecutive cruises, each cruise is a separate sailing, and the Coast Guard makes no distinction between someone going on more than one sailing and someone on for just one cruise.

Royal Caribbean welcomes guests to doas many back-to-back cruises as they as they wish, including kids of any vaccination status.

There was a restriction on unvaccinated kids doing back-to-back cruises on the first sailings to return in 2021, but that has since changed.

The travel requirements and health protocols are the same as a single cruise, and back-to-back cruisers will need to meet all those requirements.

All guests 2 years of age and older, regardless of vaccination status, are required to take a COVID-19 test producing negative results between each sailing. This test will be arranged by Royal Caribbean at no expense to the guest, as long as your consecutive cruises are less than 3 days apart.

Something easily overlooked when planning to do more than one cruise in a row is laundry.You'll need to pack wisely when your overall journey is longer.

Some items can be repeated such as formal wear for both cruises. Some items, like bathing suits, can be rinsed and hung to dry so they work for both cruises.

Sometimes you just need to bring more clothes and more suitcases to last for both cruises, or just plan to pay for laundry services on board. Royal Caribbean offers "wash and fold" specials that are not cheap, but not overly expensive either.

Read the original here:

Back-to-back cruises tips and advice - Royal Caribbean Blog

Photo: vm2002 (Getty Images)

As the fall turns into winter and the and the coffee shop drinks shift from pumpkin spice to gingerbread, its also time to shift from spiked apple cider and mulled wine to other boozy holiday offerings.

I know the first drink that comes to mind is eggnog, usually followed by some serious mixed reviews. Eggnog has a longstanding presence in the holiday drink pantheon, which also comes with the unfortunate title of being mass-produced (badly) in various forms. The first eggnog I ever tried was a non-alcoholic version sold in the local Winn-Dixie, and I remembered it tasting like sad milk.

The traditional recipes seem straightforward: eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, and bourbon. Some recipes call for grated nutmeg; others pop in a cinnamon stick at the end almost as a swizzle stick for a little zhuzh. Unlike what we find in most mass-produced versions, eggnog is supposed to be on the thicker sidemostly due the whipped egg whites folded into the mixtureand leave you feeling warm on the inside due copious amounts of brown liquor. So if you have only run up against disappointing eggnog experiences, this is a boozy treat worth making yourself at home.

If youre ready to try a new creamy, boozy drink this holiday, your first stop should be crmas. Like many other folks in the Haitian diaspora, I have a long abiding relationship with crmas. Somewhere deep in my familys many photo albums is a picture of me at a party after my first communion, flanked by two large bottles of handmade and hand-poured crmas.

I met up with a friend a few weeks back to co-work in a coffeeshop in Brooklyn, and after finding our seats she reached into her purse to pull out a party favor from her sisters baby shower, a small bottle of crmas. I may have (okay, definitely) held it in my hand like a precious gem while breaking the sound barrier with my squeals.

Crmas is not the Haitian version of eggnog. While they may both be boozy creamy holiday drinks, it kind of ends there. With the large and emphatic caveat that beloved drinks have a variety of recipes among different families, traditional Haitian crmas have some similarities, and it starts with a real coconut.

Back in the day, my mother used to grab her machete and make quick work of splitting a drained coconut into pieces, meticulously carving out the white meat from the shell. Then, she would sit me in front of a metal bowl with a multisided grater and invite me to shred. As I grew up, the pieces of coconut left un-grated got smaller and smaller, and my expectations of partaking in the libations got larger and larger.

If crmas is the Haitian delicacy, coquito is its Puerto Rican cousin. My first sip of coquito was poured from an oddly familiar reused bottle into a red Solo cup at a kickback in Flatbush. While coquito is delicious, coconut- and dairy-based just like crmas, there are some marked differences between the two.

Coquito is made with Puerto Rican rum and has some differences in flavor and texture. In order to jog my memory of the drinks characteristics, I may or may not have recently bought a coquito nutcracker from an entrepreneurial lady near the park. Tasting it was like greeting a member of my extended family, familiar yet far away.

As for crmas, my recipe, adopted from my mothers recipe, and her mothers before her, has no measurements but there are general instructions. It involves grating a coconut; adding Haitian rum, sugar, condensed milks, and flavoring; and much straining through cheesecloths. Its a labor of love that yields great results.

(If DIY is not in the cards for you this holiday then youre in luck: There are a few national brands, like Absalon, that ship crmas in various sizes to your home.)

As I was writing this, I FaceTimed my mom and convinced her to bring a few bags of coconut pieces from Florida in her carry-on this Christmas. Ill reprise my role as grater-in-chief and we can make our crmas at my home this year. And if Im feeling generous, maybe Ill pour out a few mini bottles and pass it on to friends for good tidings into the new year.

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Consider Crmas and Coquito, holiday comfort from the Caribbean diaspora - The Takeout