Free Republic

Carnival Cruise Line is under fire after implementing a series of new onboard policies that some Black passengers say are restrictive at best and racist at worst. The rules, introduced in June, have triggered a wave of cancellations and a broader debate about how cruise culture is evolving. According to Carnival, the changes are meant to enhance safety and improve the overall guest experience. But for some travelers, the message feels exclusionary. “We got the message loud and clear, we are not your demographic anymore,” said one TikToker who shared that she canceled her reservation for a friend’s birthday celebration....

Brawls, assaults, drunken fights, boots on the grounds and fans in hands just might have Carnival Cruise Line saying, "Enough is enough!" And some Black passengers are returning the favor, cancelling their existing reservations or cancelling the cruise line all together because they deem their new rules are racist. But some argue, "Are the new policies racist, or just restrictive?" The discourse began after Carnival — who has the most allegations of serious crimes committed at sea than any other cruise line sailing from North America, per the FBI — implemented new rules. According to reports, as of June 1,...

Senegal has pulled the plug on Akon City, reclaiming almost all of the 55-hectare seaside concession after seven years of missed deadlines, fading crypto fortunes and a single half-finished welcome centre that now shares its lot with grazing goats. The $6 billion “real-life Wakanda” once promised luxury towers and flying-car parking is now the most expensive visitor kiosk on the continent. Ambitious Beginnings Announced with Marvel-level fanfare in 2018, Akon called it a “real-life Wakanda” inspired by Black Panther -the plan promised soaring hotels, a 5,000-bed hospital and streets that ran on renewable energy and Akoin. The project aimed to...

Texas businesses cannot require their customers to prove their COVID-19 vaccine status under a bill soon to be signed by Gov. Greg Abbott. The measure, Senate Bill 968, outlaws so-called “vaccine passports” and prevents businesses from asking consumers to show their vaccine cards to receive services. Abbott had issued a similar executive order in April, though that applied only to state agencies and other organizations that receive public funding. “I’m signing a law today that prohibits any business operating in Texas from requiring vaccine passports or any vaccine information,” Abbott tweeted Monday. “Texas is open 100 percent without any restrictions...