Carnival announces ports of call in Cuba

Carnival announces ports of call in Cuba

NEW YORK

Carnival’s proposed cruises to Cuba will include two colonial cities outside Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, in addition to the Cuban capital, the cruise company said last week.

Carnival is working to finalize approval from the Cuban government for the planned seven-day trips from Miami on a ship from the new Carnival brand, Fathom.

The cruises have already been approved by the United States. Americans cannot travel as ordinary tourists to Cuba under current U.S. regulations, but they may participate in certain types of trips, including people-to-people trips that foster cultural exchanges.

Carnival said the trips will “focus on supporting cultural exchange and economic development for the Cuban people and include a variety of artistic, educational and humanitarian activities.”

Carnival says the Cuba cruises will begin in May.

Geography quiz

Q. Where would you travel to visit Yad Vashem?

A. Jerusalem. Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust was established in 1953 and continues with its goals of commemoration, documentation, research and education.

TSA’s collection of firearms grows

If you think that in the 14 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Americans have learned that commercial airline passengers are not allowed to carry on board a weapon - think again.

In the week that ended Sept. 18, the Transportation Security Administration collected 67 firearms from airline passengers, a new weekly record that surpassed the previous high of 65 firearms uncovered in May of 2013.

Also surprising about TSA’s latest firearm haul is that 56 of the guns were loaded and 26 had a round chambered.

Based on the total number of firearms discovered by the TSA through August (1,898), 2015 is on pace to break last year’s annual record of 2,212 firearms.

Fliers can travel with firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline.

Delta backs on-time performance

Delta Air Lines is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to on-time performance and its record of completing scheduled flights.

The Atlanta-based carrier will give its corporate business travelers credit toward future flights if its competitors – American Airlines and United Airlines – have a better on-time performance and rate of completing scheduled domestic flights without a cancellation for a full calendar year.

The credits, which may be expanded to international flights, vary based on the delays and cancellations suffered by businesses with a Delta travel contract.

Last week, the airline marked 100 straight days of completing all scheduled flights without a cancellation, a record for the carrier.

Combined dispatches