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Carnival Cruise Line set sail from Florida and Texas over the weekend, cruising for the first time in more than a year, with fully vaccinated passengers. On July 4, the company sailed from PortMiami on the Carnival Horizon, heading out on a six-day cruise with stops planned in the Dominican Republic and Carnival’s private island in the Bahamas, Half Moon Cay. The itinerary was one of Carnival’s fully vaccinated cruises, allowing the company to sail without the need to first complete test cruises approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week warned against traveling to a pair of popular vacation destinations: the Netherlands and the Cayman Islands. The agency, which updates its travel advisory on a weekly basis, raised both destinations to its highest “Level 4” travel warning, telling Americans to “avoid” both countries. The Department of State, in turn, raised both the Netherlands and the Cayman Islands to its highest travel advisory level....

It’s no secret Nashville has been making its way to the top of travelers’ bucket lists. Spots like the historic Ryman Auditorium and the Country Music Hall of Fame, along with globally-recognized restaurants and shops, make it a must-visit for everyone—it even landed a spot on our list of best places to travel this year. But in a city that’s brimming with delicious restaurants and more places to catch live music than one could possibly see in a single trip, deciding exactly where to go and what to do on a first-time visit can be a bit overwhelming....

Packing is often a dreaded vacation step for many, but as a former travel editor and self-proclaimed packing expert, it’s a task I relish. Whether you’re planning a far-flung bucket list vacation or a quick weekend road trip, having the right luggage can make all the difference, and over the past decade, I’ve tried out dozens of carry-ons, backpacks, and totes to get my packing routine down to a science. After discovering (and discarding) a bunch a duds, the Duchamp Getaway Backpack Suitcase has become my go-to travel bag — I’ve taken it on nearly every trip for the past four years....

Planning a monthlong trip to Paris, I realized I wanted to live in the city, not just stay there. So I decided to rent a furnished apartment, figuring I’d also save on hotel and restaurant bills. Yet short of hopping on a plane, I wasn’t sure how to find the best place. The Internet, it turns out, made it easy. I typed the words apartment rentals in Paris on the search engine and up came hundreds of sites....

As we keep trucking through 2020, Travel + Leisure’s first podcast, Let’s Go Together, continues to introduce listeners to some of the most inspiring and spirited travelers in the world. So far this season we’ve met people working to preserve their native cultures in Alaska and Hawaii, an Olympic athlete traveling the world in her hijab, and plus-size travelers who explained what it’s like traveling in a bigger body. On this week’s episode, host Kellee Edwards is joined by Amoya Shante, founder of Single Moms Do Travel, and Libryia Jones, co-founder of Wandering Moms Community, what it’s like raising children as single moms while helping their kids expand their horizons by traveling the world....

Ok, let’s talk about the European party scene. There’s a reason the party circuit in western Europe is world renowned. The atmosphere is more relaxed than any we could cultivate in the U.S. The drinks are plentiful and make particularly good use of potent liqueurs. The parties start later and end much, much later. And of course, there’s the European party music, which somehow has a shelf life years longer than American pop — you’d be surprised how much mileage the French, Spanish, and Italian clubs are still getting out of Alors On Danse and Dragostea Din Tei....

Airbnb has changed the way the world travels since its launch in 2008. The company, which is now valued well into the billions, has helped homeowners across the globe become mini-hoteliers, allowing guests to stay overnight in an extra room, or take over their entire home for a set period of time. To date, the company has helped book more than 160 million guests for its more than three million listings in 190 countries, according to Airbnb’s own statistics....

Picture this: You’re on an hours-long road trip somewhere in the United States. Your playlist is set and ready. Your co-captain has all your bags (and snacks) packed. Your GPS is pre-programed and set to avoid tolls. There’s just one thing missing: Coffee. While you can most definitely bring along your favorite coffee grounds to make with the coffee maker at your hotel or Airbnb, making coffee while literally on the road is highly unfeasible, and stopping frequently at off-ramp drive-thrus can easily topple your tight schedule....

Just when we thought West Hollywood’s stretch of Sunset Boulevard couldn’t get any more enticing, Pendry Hotels showed up on the scene. Set to open April 2, Pendry West Hollywood takes up an entire block of the Sunset Strip — which stands to reason, considering they have 149 rooms, 40 residences, a rooftop pool, an exclusive private social club (with impeccable midcentury modern design), a spa, and multiple restaurants by Wolfgang Puck....

The stories of Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson, and Mary Jackson were given the Hollywood treatment in a film adaptation of “Hidden Figures,” starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae. The three women were integral to NASA’s famous mission of sending John Glenn into Earth’s orbit in 1962—but received little of the recognition they deserved until their story was turned into a book and subsequent movie last year. Although the story takes place between Virginia and Cape Canaveral, the filming for the movie was all done in Georgia, mainly in and around Atlanta....

The Bellagio wants you to forget everything you ever knew about dining out and come try its new Mayfair Supper Club instead. In January, the famed Las Vegas resort unveiled its latest offering, The Mayfair Supper Club, a fountain-side experience that harkens back to the 1920s heyday of Vegas style. It comes complete with live entertainment, surprise performances, and a view of the iconic Bellagio Fountains that can’t be beat....

With Ryka’s Influence Cross Trainers, you can do just about anything in comfort and style. Whether you’re heading to the gym for some weight training or going on an outdoor run, these performance sneakers are built to accommodate a variety of activities — so they may even be the last pair of gym shoes you need to buy. “I work out six days a week,” one person wrote. “I needed an affordable trainer that would at least provide lateral support and some toe cushion for burpees....

When it comes to airport style, it’s hard to hit the right balance between comfort and fashion. On the one hand, you don’t want to roll up wearing runners and sweatpants, looking like you just left spin class. On the other, you don’t want to spend hours squirming in a cramped economy seat in too-tight jeans. Enter Offtrack, a year-old brand that specializes in leather leggings that are so good-looking, even the most sartorially minded traveler would give them a second glance....

From any distance, Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah — one of its three human-made The Palm Islands — is a wondrous site, with palm tree-shaped fringes surrounded by a seven-mile circular frame. But one of the best views associated with Palm Jumeriah is the deck from which you can see the entire island. And now there’s a new vantage point to take in the view, 820 feet (250 meters) above sea level....

The world has changed a lot since the turn of the 20th century –– especially when it comes to our buildings. Over the last few decades, buildings around the world have gotten taller, mightier, and accomplished way more impressive feats of engineering. However, it can be hard to really appreciate the scale of these buildings when they’re not side-by-side for comparison. In honor of the major advances society has made in technology and engineering in the last hundred or so years, YouTube channel FilmCore created a mesmerizing animation of some of the tallest buildings ever built, from 1901 until just a little bit into the future, 2022....

Ranked among the best hotels in Charleston in Travel + Leisure’s 2020 World’s Best Awards, The Dewberry is a one-of-a-kind property. Originally a 1964 federal building located across from Marion Square, the mid-century modern structure was transformed into a luxury hotel in the heart of the city, complete with a vintage-inspired rooftop cocktail club and spa. This year, the hotel got a retro holiday makeover, and it looks like a perfectly mid-century Christmas postcard with plenty of tinsel, lights, and 1960s-influenced decor....

Still dreaming about that ultimate travel adventure? One company wants to turn your wishful thinking into reality by giving away $10,000 toward a trip — and they’ll make sure you eat well along the way, too. Noosa has partnered with The Infatuation for the Take Back Adventure giveaway to award one person with the money to spend on their choice of a vacation, whether it’s a road trip, national park visit, or city getaway....

The Atlantic coast finally has its first International Dark Sky Park. Following a two-year process, the International Dark-Sky Association announced last week that Cape Lookout National Seashore, located on Harkers Island in North Carolina, was awarded the certification, which means that it has exceptional night-sky conditions and astronomy activities. “Not only do they serve as another exceptional National Park Service unit that understands and is fully committing to dark-sky efforts, but they also visibly demonstrate the balance between using light efficiently and coexisting with the natural, nocturnal environment with their lighting decisions,” International Dark-Sky Association director Ashley Wilson said in a statement....

Disney just gave fans a peek into the most exclusive suite at Walt Disney World — and it’s absolutely magical. The Cinderella Castle Suite, located inside the iconic castle at Magic Kingdom Park, looks like it belongs in the beloved fairy tale. Few lucky guests have spent the night in this suite, but thanks to the Disney Parks TikTok account, we all caught a glimpse inside the suite fit for royalty....