Connect with us

CBS News

Royal Caribbean is building 3 more Icon of the Seas-style megaships

Avatar

Published

on


Royal Caribbean is growing its fleet of megaships, with plans to build three more Icon of the Seas-style vessels. 

The cruise company, which currently operates 68 ships, this week said it is partnering with Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku to build the additional Icon-style ships. The deal includes options for Royal Caribbean to order fourth and fifth vessels. In addition to other Royal Caribbean ships, Meyer Turku built Icon of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, which made its maiden voyage in January.

A sister ship, called Star of the Seas, will set sail from Cape Canaveral in the summer of 2025. The third Icon class ship, which will launch in 2026, has not yet been named, according to Royal Caribbean Group. 

Royal Caribbean Group president and CEO Jason Liberty said the company ordered the forthcoming ships based on enthusiastic customer response to Icon of the Seas, a ship so big it dwarfs The Titanic in size. The 250,800-ton ship, accommodates roughly 8,000 people and features dozens of restaurants, theme parks and “neighborhoods.”

“Building on the incredible momentum and market response to the launch of Icon of the Seas and the excitement for its sister ship, Star of the Seas, coming in 2025, we’re thrilled to join with Meyer Turku once again to expand our roster of Icon class ships and continue our future growth plans,” Liberty said in a statement on the repeat partnership. “Since its debut, Icon has changed the game in vacation experiences and exceeded our expectations in both guest satisfaction and financial performance.” 


World’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, begins maiden voyage

02:11

“We’re just getting started”

Royal Caribbean said Icon is just the beginning of a new trend in cruising. 

“Icon of the Seas is unlike anything the world has seen before, and we’re just getting started,” Royal Caribbean International president and CEO Michael Bayley said in a statement. “We are leading the vacation industry in developing new experiences for our guests to create lifelong memories, and we continue dreaming and evolving to deliver more ways to chill and thrill.” 

While the cruise industry was momentarily battered by COVID-19, statistics show that cruising remains a popular way to vacation. In 2023, 31.7 million passengers took cruises, surpassing 2019’s record 20.7 million passengers, according to industry trade group Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). CLIA expects that trend to continue, and forecasts that the number of cruise passengers will reach 34.7 million by the end of 2024. 

But while Icon has proved popular among cruisers, it’s drawn the ire of environmental advocates, who say cruise ships’ increasingly large sizes are not climate-friendly. 

The world’s biggest cruise ships are now twice as big as they were in 2020, according to a Transport and Environment report. CO2 emissions from cruise ships were nearly 20% higher in 2022 than they were in 2019, the Brussels-based group that advocates for clean transportation found.

Icon of the Seas features energy-efficient technology designed to reduce its carbon footprint, and Royal Caribbean has pledged to introduce a net-zero ship by 2035. But climate advocates say these advances aren’t enough to mitigate pollution from these ships, and that their sheer size and capacity is proof that the industry isn’t prioritizing sustainability. 

Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to CBS MoneyWatch’s request for comment about its ships’ sustainability. 



Read the original article

Leave your vote

CBS News

9/13: CBS Evening News – CBS News

Avatar

Published

on


9/13: CBS Evening News – CBS News


Watch CBS News



Trump defends relationship with 9/11 conspiracy theorist; Burglar busted in “Captain America” costume celebrates 5 years sober after viral incident

Be the first to know

Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.




Read the original article

Leave your vote

Continue Reading

CBS News

911 calls released in deadly Georgia school shooting

Avatar

Published

on


A Georgia county’s emergency call center was overwhelmed by calls on Sept. 4 about a school shooting at Apalachee High School that killed four people and wounded nine others, records released Friday by Barrow County show.

Local news organizations report many of the 911 phone calls were not released under public record requests because state law exempts from release calls recording the voice of someone younger than 18 years old. That exemption would cover calls from most of the 1,900 students at the school in Winder, northeast of Atlanta.

Calls spiked around 10:20 a.m., when authorities have said that 14-year-old suspect Colt Gray began shooting. Many calls were answered with an automated message saying there was a “high call volume,” WAGA-TV reported.

One man called 911 after receiving text messages from a girlfriend. He was put on hold for just over 10 minutes because of an influx of calls at the time of the shooting, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

“She hears people yelling outside, so I don’t know if that’s officers in the building or that’s — I don’t know,” he said, adding that she was eventually evacuated out of the school.

Other adults also called 911 after their children contacted them.

“My daughter calling me crying. Somebody go ‘boom, boom, boom, boom,'” one mother said. The 911 operator responded: “Ma’am we have officers out there, OK?”

Parents of students at an elementary school and middle school neighboring Apalachee also flooded 911 seeking information.

“Sir, my daughter goes to school next door to Apalachee. Is there a school shooter?” one caller asked.

“We do have an active situation (at) Apalachee High School right now,” the operator responded. “We have a lot of calls coming in.”

More than 500 radio messages between emergency personnel were also released Friday.

“Active shooter!” an officer yells in one audio clip while speaking with a dispatcher, CNN reported. Another officer responds, “Correct. We have an active shooter at Apalachee High School.”

The shooting killed teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, as well as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, with seven of those hit by gunfire.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported Thursday that the suspect rode the school bus on the day of the shooting with the assault-style rifle concealed in his backpack.

He then asked a teacher for permission to go to the front office to speak with someone, and when he received it, he was allowed to take his backpack with him, GBI said. He then went to a restroom, where he hid, and then eventually took out the weapon and started shooting, investigators said. A knife was also found on him when he was arrested.

According to investigators, the suspect enrolled at Apalachee High on Aug. 14, and between Aug. 14 and the day of the shooting, he was absent for nine days of school.

The family told CBS News that the suspect’s maternal grandmother had visited the school the day before the massacre to discuss the suspect’s alleged behavioral issues. 

The suspect has been charged as an adult with four counts of murder, and District Attorney Brad Smith has said more charges are likely to be filed against him in connection with the wounded. Authorities have also charged his father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, alleging that he gave his son access to the gun when he knew or should have known that the teen was a danger to himself and others.

The 13,000 students at Barrow County’s other schools returned to class Tuesday. The 1,900 students who attend Apalachee are supposed to start returning the week of Sept. 23, officials said Friday.



Read the original article

Leave your vote

Continue Reading

CBS News

Pope says Trump, Harris are both “against life”

Avatar

Published

on


Pope says Trump, Harris are both “against life” – CBS News


Watch CBS News



Speaking to reporters Friday, Pope Francis made clear he doesn’t agree with former President Donald Trump’s immigration policy, or Vice President Kamala Harris’ stance on abortion.

Be the first to know

Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.




Read the original article

Leave your vote

Continue Reading

Copyright © 2024 Breaking MN

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.