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Travel Weekly
31 minutes ago
- Travel Weekly
How Regent's Seven Seas Grandeur stacks up
Richard Turen I've recently returned from a 12-day British Isles cruise out of Southampton on the Seven Seas Grandeur, the newest Explorer-class ship in the Regent Seven Seas Cruises fleet. I looked for the Picasso print in a public restroom, and I stood transfixed by the most stylish main dining room on any ship I have ever sailed, a space that features lovely contoured arches and degrees of dining separation that should earn at least one of the architectural firms that worked on this project some sort of industry award. The design features carried over into public spaces and the specialty restaurants to a degree that it might be a good idea for other ship designers to sail the Grandeur before taking pen to paper or fingers to AI design kits. Related story: The little things add up on Regent's Seven Seas Grandeur But this is reading like a PR piece, and that is not what I do. This was our family's second Signature vacation of the year, and we were accompanied by 28 extremely well-traveled clients, many of whom have achieved our Cruise Ship Inspector status. That means they have been trained and are qualified to review all aspects of a ship's operations. They complete the same forms that Angela and I use to take notes so that no aspect of a ship's services is overlooked. I had some excellent research from this group, which, in general, matched my opinions of what we had experienced. Let me summarize just a few of my opinions about our experience aboard Regent's newest ship: • Regent remains among the top five or six cruise lines in the world. Its uniqueness is centered on numerous inclusions like shore excursions and an absence of specialty dining surcharges. • Many of your clients will prefer Regent to the competition simply because their dress rules cater to an American audience. There are no formal nights on any cruise of less than 16 nights. Often, the sale is completed when this fact is mentioned. I laugh when I think about formal nights on Alaska cruises. How many of the wilderness houses one sees along the Inside Passage are owned by people who have a suit hanging in the closet? In a way, Regent just "gets it" in ways many of their competitors do not. They score No. 1 in the They Get It category. • I have mentioned to a number of cruise executives that any rankings I am associated with will never grant five-star status to any line that does not address onboard guests by name. That is a great point of differentiation and one of the reasons I have not previously felt that Regent was a five-star product. That has now changed. Staff is using iPads to write down guest requests, and they are being recorded for future use. • There were many pluses and minuses in the cuisine category. Pacific Rim may be the finest Asian restaurant at sea. Don't leave this surprise hit without sampling the duck rolls and the lobster tempura. But the contemporary French eatery Chartreuse was an ongoing disappointment. I don't quite understand why escargot is served as a kind of colorful fried meatball. My haddock was a hamburger-shaped piece of fried fish atop a small plateau of olives, looking to escape. • Services on the open decks and in several lounges were largely impersonal, with staff often unable to engage in conversation. This was not the case in the restaurants. All in all, the Regent experience was a major plus for our guests. When you are seeking to be the casual, high-end contemporary option competing with more formalized stalwarts, you play the game with some distinct consumer advantages. Next column, some port talk.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Millions may rule football, but strategy still wins
Money talks in modern football - that's no secret. Clubs like Chelsea and PSG sit firmly at the top of the financial food chain, but as the last few years have proven, throwing cash at a problem doesn't always bring silverware. Despite their deep pockets, both clubs have had to go back to the drawing board in recent seasons. Now, with both sides set to clash in the Club World Cup final, there's a sense that their rebuilds are finally bearing fruit. Advertisement PSG: the relentless chase for European glory Back in 2011, PSG underwent a seismic shift when Nasser Al-Khelaïfi took over as president, backed by the might of Qatar Sports Investments. At that point, the Parisian club had 12 Ligue 1 titles to its name - fast-forward to today and they've added another 13, plus a string of domestic cups. Still, their obsession with conquering Europe remained unfulfilled. In pursuit of the elusive Champions League trophy, PSG splashed out in spectacular fashion. Neymar arrived from Barcelona in 2017 for a record-breaking €222 million, and a year later, they secured Kylian Mbappé from Monaco for €180 million. Other big-money signings followed: Hakimi, Di María, Gonçalo Ramos, and Randal Kolo Muani - all brought in to build a team capable of ruling the continent. But year after year, PSG came up short. Advertisement Their closest call came during the Covid-affected 2019/20 season, where they reached the final but lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich, thanks to a Kingsley Coman goal - a former PSG player, just to twist the knife. Enter Luis Enrique: A new era Change finally came in 2023, when Luis Enrique took over from Christophe Galtier. The Spanish coach was tasked with bringing a more balanced, cohesive approach to a club long defined by individual stars. Even after Kylian Mbappé's high-profile exit to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, PSG didn't crumble. Instead, they regrouped. New faces like João Neves, Willian Pacho, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Désiré Doué were brought in to fit the team-first philosophy. Advertisement After a rocky group stage in the Champions League, PSG roared through the knockout rounds - brushing aside Brest, surviving a dramatic penalty shootout against Liverpool, and powering past Aston Villa and Arsenal to book a spot in the final. In that final, played at the Allianz Arena, they dominated Inter Milan from the first whistle. Goals from Hakimi, Doué (twice), Kvaratskhelia, and Mayulu secured a 5-0 thrashing and PSG's long-awaited European crown. The quadruple was theirs and they weren't finished yet. Chelsea: The Boehly revolution Over in West London, Chelsea were undergoing their own upheaval. Roman Abramovich's reign ended abruptly in 2022 amid sanctions linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In stepped Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, taking over a club already in flux. Advertisement What followed was a radical reset. Around 20 players were offloaded, while the club spent over €280 million on fresh, young talent - including Wesley Fofana and Carney Chukwuemeka. But the plan to inject youth and potential didn't deliver instant results. Neither Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, nor Frank Lampard managed to steady the ship. Chelsea slumped to a 12th-place finish in the Premier League in 2022/23 - their worst in years - and crashed out early in other competitions. Maresca's new Blueprint: structure and simplicity The tide began to turn in June 2024, when Enzo Maresca was appointed as head coach, replacing Mauricio Pochettino. Fresh from his success with Leicester, Maresca introduced clarity and structure - trimming the squad and focusing on a more balanced approach. Advertisement Slowly but surely, things began to click. Big-money signings like Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo, who had struggled to impress, started showing their true worth. But the real breakout star was Cole Palmer. Signed from Manchester City, the young attacker lit up the 2024/25 campaign with 25 goals and 15 assists - instantly becoming a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea finished the Premier League season in 5th place with 69 points, marking a major step forward. But the real highlight came in Europe. Conference League glory: a new start Chelsea's European journey saw them reach the final of the UEFA Conference League, dispatching FC Copenhagen, Legia Warsaw, and Djurgarden along the way. Advertisement In the final against Real Betis, the Blues went behind early to a goal from Abde Ezzalzouli, but they responded brilliantly. Goals from Enzo Fernández, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho, and Moisés Caicedo turned the game on its head, and Chelsea lifted the trophy in Poland. It was a much-needed piece of silverware, signalling a shift in mindset: fewer impulsive signings, more focus on building a team and not just a squad of expensive individuals. Club World Cup Final: another title within reach With European glory now under their belts, both PSG and Chelsea turn their attention to the Club World Cup. The final will be played at MetLife Stadium this Sunday - a fitting stage for two teams who've redefined themselves over the past year. Advertisement PSG topped their group with ease, brushing past Inter Miami, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid in the knockout rounds. Chelsea, meanwhile, recovered from a group-stage slip-up against Flamengo and went on to beat Benfica, Palmeiras, and Fluminense in convincing fashion. Whatever the result in New York, both clubs have proven a vital point this season: success isn't just about spending big - it's about smart planning, a clear identity, and trusting in the project. The final awaits. One more chapter to write.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Impact of US tariffs varies across European Union
European countries are not all equally exposed to the US market and so will not suffer the same consequences should President Donald Trump go ahead with his threats to impose 30-percent tariffs on the European Union. Ireland, with a major pharmaceutical industry, is in the front line along with Germany, for whom the United States is a major outlet for its cars, steel and machine tools. France is less exposed, even if it does have aeronautics, food, wine and luxury goods companies that risk losing markets. The EU as a whole has an annual trade surplus with the United States of $235.6 billion, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), which reports to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Only China has a higher amount. - Ireland, Europe's lab - Ireland has the largest surplus among EU members, at $86.7 billion. That is largely due to the presence of major American pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and Johnson & Johnson. They all set up in Ireland to benefit from a 15 percent corporate tax, compared to 21 percent in the United States. These companies can thus host their patents in Ireland and sell on the American market, where drug prices are traditionally higher than in the rest of the world. Ireland also hosts most of the European headquarters of American tech giants, such as Apple, Google and Meta, also attracted by the attractive Irish tax system. Overall, pharmaceuticals account for 22.5 percent of EU exports to the United States, according to Eurostat, with many major players having announced major investments in the United States. - Germany, the industrial powerhouse - Germany, the EU's largest economy, is under particular pressure due to its dependence on exports: it has a surplus of $84.8 billion with the United States, thanks to its large automobile, chemical, steel and machine industries. The United States accounts for 23 percent of the revenue of Mercedes Benz. While some of that is accounted for by SUVs manufactured in the United States and exported, they risk being hit by any tariff reprisals from the EU. The Federation of German Industries (BDI) reacted promptly to Donald Trump's announcements on Saturday, calling on the EU and the United States to "quickly find solutions and to avoid an escalation". - Italy, France in the second line - Italy and France, with surpluses of $44 billion and $16.4 billion respectively, according to US statistics (French data says the surplus is much smaller), would appear to be less affected. But some sectors are heavily exposed. The food and wine industries would be particularly affected in both countries, as is also the case for Spain. A 30-percent tariff would be a "catastrophe" for the French wine and spirits sector, Jerome Despey, head of the viticulture branch of the FNSEA union, said Saturday. Coldiretti, Italy's main agricultural organisation, said Saturday that tariffs of 30 percent would cost US consumers and Italian food producers some $2.3 billion. Like Germany, Italy is also concerned about its automotive sector. Franco-Italian manufacturer Stellantis (particularly Fiat and Peugeot) has suspended its forecasts for the year due to these uncertainties. Exposed French sectors also include aeronautics and luxury goods. LVMH, the world's largest luxury conglomerate, makes a quarter of its sales in the United States. About a fifth of France's exports to the United States come from the aerospace industry, much of it from Airbus. Austria and Sweden also have surpluses with the United States, $13.1 billion and $9.8 billion respectively. bp/gv/jj Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
