Latest news with #Lane
NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
US Woman Leaves Home At 77 To Spend 15 Years On A Cruise Ship
Sharon Lane, 77, began daydreaming about life on board as soon as she learnt that a cruise line was conducting a global tour. In mid-June, she departed California to live on the residential cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey, which will be sailing around the world. Ms Lane, a former California high school teacher, loves to travel. She used to teach foreign languages and enjoyed taking her students on European vacations. She moved to Cape Town, South Africa, in the 1990s for two years of adventure. She has recently switched to cruise travel, not only because it gives her the chance to travel the world but also because she loves the experience of being lost at sea. 'I am finally able to do what I have wanted to do for years,' Ms Lane told CNN Travel. This is not a short cruise holiday for Ms Lane. The 77-year-old Californian intends to spend the next 15 years travelling around the world's oceans and making port calls at places like Japan and New Zealand. Being a "residential" cruise ship, guests usually do not board Villa Vie Odyssey for a brief excursion. The Odyssey is a newly rebuilt, three-decade-old ship, and its cabins are sold permanently, or for as long as the ship is expected to last. According to CEO Mikael Petterson of Villa Vie Residences, cabin rates begin at $129,000 for a 15-year stay, plus monthly costs of $2,000 per person for double occupancy and $3,000 for single occupancy. Cabins outside start at $169,000, and each person's monthly fee goes up by $500. Ms Lane purchased her cabins at the end of 2024, and she boarded the ship a few months later when the ship arrived in her hometown of San Diego, California. The monthly charge for residents includes food and soft drinks. Wi-Fi, medical visits (but not surgeries or medications), and wine during dinner are also acceptable. Furthermore, there is free weekly housekeeping, biweekly laundry service, and room service available. Ms Lane claimed that she bought her inside cabin with all her money, but she considers it to be a fantastic deal. 'I buy the cabin, I live in the cabin, and that's it. And then there's no end,' Ms Lane remarked to the outlet. "I no longer have to do my laundry. I don't have to go grocery shopping. It is far less expensive to live on the ship than it is in Southern California," she added. Although she is eager to see the places, Ms Lane said her favourite aspect of cruising is being on the ship, and she intends to spend most of her free time on deck. She claimed that the only purpose of her windowless cabin is to sleep. Originally scheduled to set sail in mid-2024, Villa Vie Odyssey was delayed for four months at Belfast, Northern Ireland, while it awaited safety certification. The Odyssey finally sailed in late September of last year.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN analyst ranks USC's Ja'Kobi Lane as top wide receiver prospect for 2026 NFL draft
After a relatively quiet freshman season in 2023, USC wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane broke out last fall. Following a massive performance in the Trojans' Las Vegas Bowl victory over Texas A&M. Lane now enters 2025 as an unquestioned leader in USC's wide receiver room. Lane's breakout attracted the attention of not just his Trojans teammates, but NFL Draft scouts as well. Recently, ESPN analysts Matt Miller and Jordan Reid released lists of their top prospects at every position for the 2026 NFL Draft. Reid was very high on Lane, ranking his as his top wide receiver on the board. Here is what Reid had to say about Lane: "I have the 6-4, 195-pound redshirt sophomore ranked higher than everyone and will continue to reside on that island," Reid wrote. "But he is a polarizing prospect who has many scouts needing to see more. Despite 12 touchdowns last season, Lane had only 528 receiving yards and was held below 50 yards in eight of USC's 13 games. There isn't a true WR1 in this class yet, so, with a bit more consistency, Lane has the opportunity to rise and be the first receiver off the board." As Reid highlights, Lane certainly showed major flashes of his potential last season. But he still has a way's to go in terms of establishing himself as an elite NFL prospect. Fortunately for Lane, he will have plenty of opportunities to do so this fall.
CNN
2 days ago
- Business
- CNN
She left her home in California to live on a cruise ship for 15 years
When Sharon Lane stepped onto Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship in mid-June, she was flooded with feelings of joy and relief. This moment was the fulfillment of a dream a long time coming. 'I'm finally able to do what I've wanted to do for years,' she tells CNN Travel. For Lane, this is no brief cruise vacation. The 77-year-old Californian plans to be on this ship for the next 15 years, perpetually circumnavigating the world's oceans and stopping off at destinations from Japan to New Zealand. Villa Vie Odyssey is a 'residential' cruise ship, meaning passengers don't generally board for just a quick jaunt. Its cabins are sold on a permanent basis — or at least for the estimated 15-year lifetime of the Odyssey, which is a recently renovated, three-decade-old ship. 'I buy the cabin, I live in the cabin, and that's it. And then there's no end,' says Lane. Or at least that's the hope. Residential ships are still new territory for the cruise ship industry. While the Odyssey is currently sailing smoothly up the US West Coast, its initial launch was delayed by months. Meanwhile some passengers, including Lane, had already experienced the disappointment of an earlier long-term residential cruise collapsing before it even secured a boat. Operated by cruise startup Villa Vie Residences, the Odyssey finally set sail at the end of September last year. There are still cabins available to purchase. Lane bought hers at the end of last year and boarded several months later, when the ship passed through her home port of San Diego, California. Villa Vie Residences' CEO Mikael Pettersen says cabin prices start at $129,000 for an inside for 15 years, on top of which there are monthly fees — $2,000 per person per month for double occupancy, $3,000 for single. Outside cabins start at $169,000, with monthly fees rising $500 per person. These figures aren't cheap — but remain comparatively so in contrast to The World, the only other residential cruise ship experience currently at sea, which caters for a more luxury market with a starting price of $2.5 million. There are other residential ship projects in the works — such as NJORD, a self-described 'exclusive community at sea' — but they've yet to be realized. Odyssey's concept is also potentially cheaper than hopping from one shorter cruise voyage to another. Villa Vie owners can also rent their cabin out to others, which means short-term passengers can still come and go from Odyssey. But the majority of owners have purchased their cabin with the intention of living on board, according to the cruise company. 'Most of our cabins are sold to full-time or mostly full-time residents,' Pettersen tells CNN Travel. 'I only know of a couple of residents who have investment cabins that they actively rent out. Most rentals come from owners who decide to stay off the ship for a period of time.' Lane says she used her life savings to purchase her interior cabin, but she sees this as a good deal. Food and soft drinks are included in residents' monthly fee. So is alcohol at dinner, Wi-Fi and medical visits (but not procedures or medicines). There's also 24/7 room service, weekly housekeeping and bi-weekly laundry service at no extra cost. 'I don't have to do my laundry anymore. I don't have to do grocery shopping,' says Lane. 'Living on the ship is much less expensive than living in Southern California.' Entertainment is also provided, including 'a singing duet, pianist, professional dancers,' according to Pettersen. Local performers are booked at ports of call, and residents are also encouraged to host their own events at a regular 'speakers' corner.' 'Residents present every week,' Pettersen says. 'We have a very diverse community including a Nobel Peace Prize winner, a White House chief of staff, an astronaut and many scientists and doctors onboard that share their knowledge and experiences.' Odyssey usually stops in each port for a couple of days, where optional shore excursions are organized for an additional fee. Throughout the course of its anticipated 15-year life span, the ship will continually circle the globe, calling at different locations with each circumnavigation. Lane says she is excited about the destinations, but being on the ship is her favorite part of cruising and she plans to spend most of her downtime on the deck. She says her windowless cabin is simply for sleeping. Her berth is 'toward the front of the ship, because I can feel the ocean more there,' she adds. 'I like the ocean motion.' The eight-deck Odyssey can 'technically' accommodate 924 people, according to Villa Vie's Pettersen, but some cabins have now been combined into one, meaning 'about 450 cabins in total.' 'Given the solo rate and that residents often travel away from the ship, we don't expect more than 500 residents onboard at any given time,' he explains. 'I find that delightful,' Lane says. 'It's very roomy for the number of people.' In November 2024 Villa Vie said that 50% of passengers in the first takeup were traveling solo. Today, Villa Vie Residences' CEO Pettersen confirms single travelers now make up 'close to 55%' of those on board — Lane among them. Pettersen says 80% of Villa Vie Odyssey's owners are from the US and Canada, with Australia and New Zealand a close second. As a recent addition to the on-board community, Lane is enjoying meeting and mingling with her fellow residents. 'There's very, very few, if any, people on the ship who are not lifelong travelers,' she says. 'When you're with a group of people that think like you, life gets easier.' Villa Vie Odyssey was originally supposed to embark in mid-2024, but ended up stalled in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for four months, awaiting safety certification. When the vessel eventually set sail, Villa Vie contended with some cancelled ports and itinerary changes. Missed stop-offs in the Galapagos Islands, the Falklands in the South Atlantic and Antarctica led to some disappointment among passengers. 'Residents understand for the most part that we are doing something new and there will be occasional challenges but I think overall we are getting better,' says Villa Vie's Pettersen. Pettersen blames cancelled ports on weather, red tape and logistical problems in destinations where smaller 'tender' vessels are needed to carry passengers ashore. 'Galapagos was not possible for us to go because you need 100% Ecuadorian crew,' he says. 'Falklands was due to 50-knot winds.' Pettersen says that in Antarctica, Villa Vie 'did not get the certificates in time and the weather did not allow for an exemption. We had some other missed tender ports where waves were simply not safe for tender operations.' Pettersen suggests these teething problems will be overcome as Villa Vie Residences' gains more experience. He points out this is a kind of voyage never really attempted before. Villa Vie is currently building a custom walkway to link the ship and tender boats to reduce movement from waves and swell. This, says Pettersen, will 'greatly reduce these missed ports.' 'We have a very capable itinerary planner who plans about a year ahead,' Pettersen adds. 'It is an extremely difficult task as there is really nobody that has done this sort of itinerary before so it is challenging to understand all regulations in every region of the world. However, we are learning a tremendous amount.' To make up for the missed ports, a new segment has been added to the cruise 'which offers everything that was missed in 2024, including Antarctica, Falklands, Greenland, and northern Europe,' according to Pettersen. This will involve an extended stay in the Argentine port of Ushuaia, on the southern tip of South America. 'This time we are spending an entire month in Ushuaia, giving us plenty of opportunity to work with the weather to make sure we hit the Falklands and Antarctica,' he adds. 'We learned that the weather down there is highly unpredictable so giving us this flexibility will ensure an amazing customer experience.' Lane says she's relieved to have missed much of the Odyssey's early drama and is confident that Villa Vie had enough time to 'work out the kinks' by the time she joined in mid-June. 'I don't want complications in my life, you know, I'm at a point in my life where I want simplicity,' she says. Lane has, however, experienced first-hand some of the uncertainties of the nascent years-long cruising industry. She was among hundreds of passengers who committed thousands of dollars toward a three-year-long cruise voyage planned by a start-up called Life at Sea. After repeated postponements, that project collapsed, with management company Miray Cruises never actually managing to secure a ship to host the voyage. Lane got a refund, but by then had given up her rental lease and sold many of her belongings. When the cruise dream collapsed, she moved into a retirement village in Orange County, California, where she felt stagnant. 'The whole two years I was there, I was looking for someplace else to go… I wasn't settled. I didn't feel settled. Because it wasn't the life I wanted,' says Lane. Lane explains she wasn't aware of the progress with Villa Vie Residences until the Odyssey made headlines when it finally set sail in fall 2024. She was immediately sold. Her reaction, she says, was just two words: 'Holy cow.' 'I called them up and I gave them money the same day,' recalls Lane. Pettersen, who worked for Life at Sea until departing in a management schism, says about half of the passengers let down by Life at Sea have followed him to his new company. 'We have about half of them on the Odyssey,' he says. Those who purchase long-term cabins on Odyssey do have the option to sell up should circumstances change. Lane says she currently hopes to see out the full 15 years at sea, finally living her dream life. 'There's no end,' she says. 'Sure, in 15 years… but in 15 years, I'll be ready for a home… Or maybe, at the end, I'll go on their next ship… I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.' 'Being on a ship deck, that's my happy place,' Lane adds. 'Whenever the weather is good, I will be on that deck. And when the weather isn't quite good, I'll bundle up and be on that deck, because that is my happy place. You can stand there, you can sit there, you can chat with people, you can read a book. You have the ocean breeze, you have sea air.'
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Disinflation process is ‘largely completed', says ECB's Philip Lane
European Central Bank Chief Economist Philip Lane said the process of bringing inflation back to 2% is almost over, despite some pockets of elevated price pressures remaining. 'While headline inflation is currently around the target, services inflation still has some distance to travel,' Lane said on Tuesday in London. 'Still, there has been sufficient progress in returning inflation to target to consider that this monetary-policy challenge is largely completed.' Such confidence is allowing the ECB to hold off on further interest rate cuts for now. It's made eight reductions since last June, totaling two percentage points and bringing the deposit rate to 2%. The outlook is facing substantial risks, however, from US tariffs and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Trade talks between president Donald Trump's administration and the European Union are continuing before a July 9 deadline. President Christine Lagarde reiterated on Monday that with rates at current levels, the ECB is in a good position to navigate uncertainty. She acknowledged that tensions in the Middle East are a concern as they can obstruct energy supplies and stoke prices. Speaking earlier on Tuesday, Slovak central-bank chief Peter Kazimir said recent days had shown how fragile the inflation position is, and that 'vigilance will be a top priority.' ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos, however, said recent swings in commodities markets don't change the outlook for prices. Lane said the ECB's disinflation task has been superseded by a new set of challenges, and that it must ensure the medium-term target is protected from factors that include 'high uncertainty' about the future of international trade. 'This uncertainty extends beyond the calibration of new tariff regimes and includes the possibility of a broader set of non-tariff barriers, a deeper intertwining of economic policies and security policies and possible revisions to the treatment of foreign portfolio investors and foreign direct investors,' he said. Bloomberg Read More Irish consumers more worried about food prices than global peers, survey finds
Business Wire
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Equitable Names Greg Boosin as Chief Marketing Officer
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Equitable, a leading financial services organization and principal franchise of Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EQH), today announced the appointment of Greg Boosin as Chief Marketing Officer. He will report to Nick Lane, President of Equitable, and join the company's Operating Committee. 'Greg is a dynamic and proven marketing leader in the financial services industry, with experience delivering measurable go-to-market strategies and driving growth across multiple verticals,' said Lane. 'His strategic mindset and deep marketing expertise will further strengthen our brand, as Equitable continues to meet clients where they are — offering trusted guidance and innovative solutions to help them navigate their financial journeys with confidence." In this role, Boosin will lead all aspects of Equitable's marketing strategy to support its Retirement and Wealth Management businesses, focused on accelerating business growth, deepening client engagement and increasing brand awareness. He has more than two decades of experience in the financial services industry, most recently serving as Executive Vice President of Global B2B & Product Marketing at Mastercard. During his nearly 20-year tenure with the firm, he built and led a global team across four business units and five regions, overseeing lead generation, sales enablement, client acquisition and go-to-market strategies. He also held senior leadership roles at Mastercard spanning marketing strategy, investor relations and merchant sales. Boosin serves on the advisory boards of several marketing and advertising industry groups, including the International Advertising Association's North American B2B Marketing Operational Board and the ANA CMO Growth Council for B2B Marketing. Boosin assumes the Chief Marketing Officer role from Connie Weaver, who joined Equitable in 2020 to launch and build its brand in the market. Weaver has a distinguished marketing career spanning more than four decades, having held senior leadership positions at TIAA, The Hartford, AT&T and Microsoft. Following her planned retirement from Equitable, Weaver intends to remain active by sharing her expertise on advisory boards and working with early-stage companies as a strategic marketing advisor. 'Connie's expertise and leadership were instrumental in transforming the marketing organization to support business growth and significantly increased Equitable's brand awareness as a leading provider in the retirement and wealth management industry,' said Lane. 'We wish Connie the very best as she embarks on her next chapter.' About Equitable Equitable, a principal franchise of Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EQH), has been one of America's leading financial services providers since 1859. With the mission to help clients secure their financial well-being, Equitable provides advice, protection and retirement strategies to individuals, families and small businesses. Equitable has more than 8,000 employees and Equitable Advisors financial professionals and serves 3 million clients across the country. Please visit for more information. Reference to the 1859 founding applies specifically and exclusively to Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company. GE-8052485.1 (06/25) (06/35)
