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Pirates of the Caribbean island up for sale

<p dir="ltr">A Bahamian island, which was the backdrop for two iconic blockbuster films, is now up for sale for the eye-watering price of $150m.</p> <p dir="ltr">The island, known as Little Pipe Cay, was used as a backdrop for two Hollywood films: <em>Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl</em> and <em>Casino Royale</em>, a film in the James Bond franchise.</p> <p dir="ltr">Spanning across over 40 acres of land, the island boasts stunning white-sand beaches and what locals refer to as “Bombay-Sapphire Blue” waters.</p> <p dir="ltr">The main property has 11 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms and four cottages, it’s basically like having a private mini resort.</p> <p dir="ltr">The property also has a deepwater dock that’s big enough for a superyacht, so you can host boat parties or simply cruise around with your peers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The lucky buyer will feel like they are on a never-ending getaway, as they can escape into the gardens or take a dip into the Olympic-sized infinity pool, the perfect place to appreciate the stunning tropical scenery.</p> <p dir="ltr">For those looking for some indoor activities, the island also offers a gym and spa, in the fully staffed island so that you will never need to lift a finger.</p> <p dir="ltr">The island is also home to many exotic plants and animals, including dolphins and sea turtles, so for those nature lovers it’s the perfect place to reconnect with mother nature.</p> <p dir="ltr">Alternatively, if you decide you’re bored of the same views, you can hop on a helicopter and fly off to another island or country, as the island also has a helipad for your travelling needs.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: realestate.com.au/ Engel &amp; Völkers Bahamas/ Getty</em></p>

Real Estate

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Cruise ship abandons course to avoid arrest warrant

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After an arrest warrant was issued for a cruise ship vessel, the ship has diverted its destination path from Miami to the island nation of the Bahamas. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to </span><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/cruise-ship-diverts-bahamas-miami-unpaid-fuel-bills"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fox News</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the arrest warrant was in response to over $1 million in unpaid fuel bills. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The U.S. marshal will be there with the arrest warrant if the ship shows up in Miami,” J. Stephen Simms, the lead lawyer representing Peninsula Petroleum Far East Pte. Ltd, told Bloomberg</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My good money is that it’s not landing in Miami, from what we’ve been told. Our client is determined to recover.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The luxury cruise ship known as Crystal Symphony was due to arrive in Miami on Saturday after a two-week voyage in the Caribbean. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, they diverted their course at the last minute with about 300 passengers and 400 crew members on board. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The ship is operated by Genting Hong Kong Ltd., which has reportedly been struggling financially since the beginning of the pandemic. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A British musician who was performing on the ship said passengers were scrambling to reschedule their flights after diverting to the Bahamas, but “there’s no panic”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Every one of these people are trying to reschedule their flights,” musician Elio Pace told the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daily Mail.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There's no panic, there's no tantrums going on, they're taking it in their stride.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Crystal Cruises president Jack Anderson announced in a statement that all Crystal Cruise operations would be suspended until at least April, due to their billion dollar losses felt through the duration of the Covid pandemic. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elio Pace said the passengers on board the Crystal Symphony were shocked at the announcement, but he has carried on performing for the travellers. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“That was quite extraordinary, to be in a position to have to perform to people, with them knowing the cruise line has gone into liquidation,” he said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“For me it’s a headache, but for the crew, for the staff, the brilliant staff of this gorgeous luxury liner, I feel more sorry for them,” Mr Pace said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I'm put out, but they've lost their jobs for the foreseeable future.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Cruising

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The tropical puppy island to add to your bucket list

<p><span>The combination of sparkling sea waters, hot bright sand and adorable puppies might sound too good to be true, but it’s what you can expect when you visit this dreamy destination.</span></p> <p><span>Perched on the Turks and Caicos Islands near the Bahamas, Potcake Place is a dog rescue charity that allows tourists to walk local puppies and dogs along Grace Bay Beach in Providenciales.</span></p> <p><span>The pups are called Potcakes, named after the food that locals give them. According to the founder and director of the charity Jane Parker-Rauw, Potcakes are predominantly German shepherds, Labrador retrievers and fox terriers.</span></p> <p><span>The charity helps 500 strays get adopted every year. However, according to <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/terripous/theres-an-island-where-you-can-play-with-rescue-puppies-and?utm_term=.fn5XvGRAl&amp;bffbanimals#.ia2DJP4Qj"><em>Buzzfeed</em></a>, Parker-Rauw noticed that the puppies were quite wary around people. To solve the problem, in 2010 she started allowing locals and tourists to come and play with the canines for a few hours every day on “puppy socialisation walks”, in order to let them get used to being around humans before they find a new home.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BrgIXAvH8_6/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BrgIXAvH8_6/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Mathilda Hermodsson🌍 (@mathildahermodssonn)</a> on Dec 17, 2018 at 12:34pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuEf3hhBWmg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuEf3hhBWmg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">Hi, my name is DiVina and I like long, romantic walks on the beach with #shelterdogs. 🐾 #adoptdontshop #turksandcaicos #gracebay #animalshelter #crazydoglady</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/divinaface/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> DiVina Gurrola</a> (@divinaface) on Feb 19, 2019 at 8:35am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtkqlsbFDxT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtkqlsbFDxT/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Jessica Demaris (@booboojessy)</a> on Feb 6, 2019 at 11:53pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtdzGtqBe_B/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtdzGtqBe_B/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">We can’t adopt an island dog, we can’t adopt an island dog...</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/unstoppabledogs/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> Meg McCarthy-Cataldo</a> (@unstoppabledogs) on Feb 4, 2019 at 7:53am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>While there is no charge to walk a puppy, the queues could be long and the number of dogs available for trips varies day to day.</span></p> <p><span>Parker-Rauw said these short excursions could do wonders for the young dogs’ development. “These short interactions with nice people both in and out of the adoption center really help to give them confidence that yes, most people really are good,” said Parker-Rauw. </span></p> <p><span>“We have seen hundreds of times a very shy puppy just excel and develop over a short time this way. It's lovely.”</span></p> <p><span>Parker-Rauw said she and her rescue organisation, which is 100 per cent run by volunteers, are hoping to reduce the number of dogs on the street without resorting to euthanising. She said her efforts on educating, neutering and spaying the canines in her shelter seemed to have paid off, as she believed there are now fewer strays. “For the first time in a long time, I have some hope that we are actually getting where we need to be,” she told <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/potcake-place-puppy-turks-and-caicos/index.html"><em>CNN</em></a>. “No more homeless dogs.”</span></p> <p>Will you add this place to your travel bucket list? Let us know in the comments.</p>

International Travel

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5 places that have been ruined by tourism

<p>Tourism is both a blessing and a curse.</p> <p>While a healthy amount can boost the economy, too much of it can be harmful to the environment and uproot local populations.</p> <p>Before you book your next trip, consider how your wanderlust is affecting some of the most beautiful places in the world.</p> <p><strong>1. Caño Cristales, Colombia</strong></p> <p>With “the river of five colours,” also known as “the melted rainbow,” waters that are a hallucinogenic concoction of pink, red, green, and blue colours (a result of the unique micro-organisms living in it) and its jaw-dropping waterfalls, Caño Cristales is now overwhelmingly popular.</p> <p>And, it’s only become more so after a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/30/world/americas/colombia-farc-accord-juan-manuel-santos.html">2016 peace agreement</a> was signed between the government of Colombia and the country’s largest rebel group.</p> <p>The uptick in foot traffic is cause for concern, as it could jeopardise the area’s extremely fragile ecosystem. In 2017, access was restricted to give the river a break.</p> <p>“We decided to implement the restriction because human presence can harm the plants’ reproduction processes,” Faber Ramos, coordinator of the ecotourism program, told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-43700833">BBC</a>.</p> <p><strong>2. Venice, Italy</strong></p> <p>Built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea, the main allure of Venice is its famed canals, while the abundance of delicious food and wine, the culture, and the ornate architecture add to its allure.</p> <p>But over-tourism has chipped away at the city’s vitality.</p> <p>Cruise ships and group bus tours have made infamous sights like St. Marks Square a blur of people and the streets are lined with litter; between the hoards of humans and the rising sea levels, Venice is sinking rapidly and the stonework and carvings on its historic buildings are crumbling.</p> <p>Venetians are finally fighting back, however: Beginning summer of 2019, short stay tourists will be charged up to €10 (about $11.50) to enter the city. </p> <p>Nothing's worse than that sinking feeling you get when you head off on your adventure and remember you left something important at home.</p> <p><strong>3. Antarctica</strong></p> <p>The entire continent of Antarctica is in trouble, between global climate change and the mass infiltration of tourists via cruise ships.</p> <p>The boat traffic, from Chile and Argentina down to the Antarctic Peninsula, has greatly increased water pollution, threatening the lives of unique species. </p> <p><a href="https://www.ats.aq/e/ats.htm">The Antarctic Treaty</a> has sought to stop such environmental devastation, limiting the number of people allowed on shore to 100 at a time, while ships carrying more than 500 passengers are not allowed at any of the landing sites.</p> <p>Sailing to Antarctica, cruising the Galapagos Islands and travelling along the Trans-Siberian Railway are the top three trips every traveller must take in their lifetime, according to US-based <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/aussie-travel-destinations-make-top-50-travel-bucket-list">Flight Network’s World’s Best Once-In-A-Lifetime Journeys 2018 list</a>.</p> <p><strong>4. Pig Beach, The Bahamas</strong></p> <p>The only inhabitants of Big Major Cay are wild pigs, known most famously for swimming in the sea, a phenomenon that draws tourists to the island off Exuma for an encounter and photo opp.</p> <p>In 2017, a wave of pig deaths struck Pig Beach.</p> <p>While a combination of factors likely lead to their death, reports <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/swimming-pigs-bahamas-death/">National Geographic</a>, the government banned visitors from feeding the creatures.</p> <p><strong>5. The Isle of Skye, Scotland</strong></p> <p>One of the most picturesque places in the United Kingdom, The Isle of Skye is known for its rugged landscapes, quaint fishing villages, and medieval castles.</p> <p>Crossing the Skye Bridge to the island from Scotland’s northwest coast is a test of patience these days, with hoards of people packed in caravans, motorhomes, and cars, often in stand-still traffic.</p> <p>Visitors without prior booking accommodations have found themselves in a pickle. </p> <p><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-40874488">According to authorities</a>, tourists often arrive at the police station with nowhere to stay asking for advice.</p> <p>Many end up staying the night in their car.</p> <p>Local authorities have taken note, advising visitors to use “common sense” before travelling to the island for an overnight stay.</p> <p>Have you stayed at any of these places? Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><em>Written by Alexa Erickson. This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/15-places-have-been-ruined-tourism">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA87V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></em></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

Travel Trouble

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Man banned from cruise following dangerous stunt

<p>The Royal Caribbean cruise company has banned a man for life after his dangerous stunt went viral on the Internet.</p> <p>Nick Naydev, a 27-year-old passenger from Washington, US, posted a video on Instagram of him jumping off the 11th floor deck of the Symphony of the Seas cruise ship and into the ocean when the vessel was docked in Nassau, Bahamas. </p> <p>In the video, Naydev’s friends could be seen watching and laughing as Naydev took the leap.</p> <p>The video, which was posted last Friday, has racked up 118,908 views as at the time of writing.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsgYghHnrsF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsgYghHnrsF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Nick Naydev (@naydev91)</a> on Jan 11, 2019 at 11:28am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Naydev said on Instagram that he was intoxicated at the time. </p> <p>“I was still drunk from the previous night,” he wrote.</p> <p>He also informed his followers that for the following three days, he could barely walk and sleep from the pain. “My feet were actually fine. It was my neck and tailbone that hurt… I’m good now.”</p> <p>After the Royal Caribbean staff found him in the ocean, Naydev and his friends were kicked off the ship and told to find their own way back home from the Bahamas.</p> <p>According to <em>Fox 13 News</em>, Royal Caribbean contacted the local police, but no charges were made. </p> <p>“When the cops showed up they were super chil [sic] and actually laughed at the video,” Naydev wrote on Instagram.</p> <p>A friend of Naydev said the man was known for attempting stunts like this. </p> <p>“He’s jumped from those kind[s] of heights before, and we didn’t really care about the consequences with the cruise company,” Konstantin Kryachun, who filmed the jump, told <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/man-gets-banned-royal-caribbean-cruises-jumping-off-ship-viral-fame-205324887.html"><em>Yahoo! Lifestyle</em></a>.</p> <p>“We just wanted to get a video of it and make it go viral.”</p> <p>The viral clip prompted the cruise company to take further action.</p> <p>“This was stupid and reckless behavior, and he and his companions have been banned from ever sailing with us again,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement. </p> <p>“We are exploring legal action.”</p>

Travel Trouble

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Diving with sharks in the Bahamas

<p>Sharks. We splashed into the clear waters off Grand Bahama Island and immediately saw what we came to see: Lots of them.</p> <p>We were nose-to-nose with them. They were so plentiful that we encountered them on each of our 17 dives - as many as 20 on a single dive. In fact, we saw more sharks than people on remote reefs and shoals.</p> <p>There were high-action dives with nurse, lemon and Caribbean reef sharks. And some of them got very cosy. The six-day trip also included dives down to a 100-year-old molasses barge called the Sugar Wreck, as well as exceptional night dives.</p> <p>We also had beautiful encounters on the reefs with a variety of critters such as loggerhead and hawksbill sea turtles, trumpetfish, invasive lionfish, angelfish, snappers and grunts.</p> <p>Our first dive on the Sugar Wreck was among my favourite dives ever. It was a shallow dive - 25 feet down - that allowed us to enjoy this fabulous old wreck for about 90 minutes.</p> <p>We had beautiful light, hawksbill turtles, nurse sharks, hundreds of grunts and snapper, a white-sand bottom off the wreck and an easy current. This is classic tropical diving.</p> <p>After a few extraordinary dives on the Sugar Wreck we were off to find what we came for: tiger sharks. Our first spot was a remote sand shoal called Tiger Beach.</p> <p>We were not lucky enough to find tigers. But we did encounter other sharks, mostly lemon. We never felt threatened, but the many large sharks did get a bit frisky.</p> <p>They bumped some of us with their fins or noses and pulled on our fins. One diver had a small toy dangling from her air tank; a shark snatched it, put it in its mouth and then coughed it back out.</p> <p>We spent hours with these sleek and beautiful predators but we also longed for diversity.</p> <p>The night diving was spectacular and another exhilarating way to experience the reef. Night is when the beautiful and bizarre creatures emerge.</p> <p>And Sugar Wreck looked like a completely different place after dark. The countless number of fish including porcupines and nurse sharks; there were also huge loggerhead and hawksbill turtles, prehistoric-looking slipper lobsters and a gaudy, spotted Caribbean lobster.</p> <p>We stopped at several other spectacular spots, including Shark Paradise reef, where we found several lively and curious Caribbean reef sharks that had no fear of us. They bumped us to understand the odd intruders.</p> <p>El Capitan was a drift dive at 89 feet - probably the deepest dive of the week. It was my least favourite. We wound up soaring 30 feet above the reef, trying to keep the group together in hauling current.</p> <p>Mini Wall was a gorgeous pair of parallel reefs with a 80-foot-deep sand channel between. The first tops out in about 30 feet of water, then you cross the sand to the second reef, topping out at about 60 feet.</p> <p>The landscape of the reef at times towered above the divers. Many of us were surprised when an extremely large and curious lemon shark suddenly appeared out of the darkness and within feet of us.</p> <p>The aptly named Hogfish Reef was home to many Spanish hogfish and several large Caribbean reef sharks, trumpetfish and angels. It was another spot of nice topography with a lot of relief and sand edge.</p> <p>Then it was back to Tiger Beach where the lemons were getting more familiar. Their growing comfort with our presence let us see some extraordinary behaviour up close.</p> <p>One lemon seemed to tolerate, if not simply ignore, my close approach as it laid on the sand. It opened its formidable mouth wide and waited while an 8-inch remora swam in and out, cleaning around and between the serrated teeth.</p> <p>We ended the trip with another breathtaking night dive on the wreck where we began our adventure. There were more huge loggerheads and one was being constantly harassed by a pair of large remoras.</p> <p>Finally, the turtle squeezed beneath some steel plates of the wreck to force them off and we headed for the last time to the dive ladders. Our logbooks were rapidly filling with once-in-a-lifetime adventures.</p> <p>Have you ever been to the Bahamas?</p> <p><em>Written by Ken Riddick. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><em><strong>No matter where you’re travelling to, making sure you know how to access your cash while away – and in the most affordable way – is very important. Easy to use and with countless benefits, the Over60 Cash Passport allows you to securely access your cash in the same way you use an ATM or credit card­. <a href="https://oversixty.cashpassport.com.au" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">To apply for a card today, click here.</span></a></strong></em></p>

International Travel

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Frantic search for overboard cruise passenger

<p>The US coast guard is currently engaging in a frantic search of waters in and around the Bahamas, where a cruise ship passenger went overboard this week. </p> <p>According to a statement from Carnival Cruise Lines, Rina Patel, a 32-year-old woman of Interlaken, New York, was on the 11th deck of the Carnival Ecstasy as the ship passed near the island of Grand Bahama, before she reportedly jumped overboard.</p> <p>Emergency procedures were initiated immediately and US coast guard aircraft and ships are now searching an area about 43 kilometres southwest of Grand Bahama.</p> <p>While initial reports have many fearing the worse, a recent story of a tourist who survived 32 hours at sea after <a href="/travel/cruising/2016/08/woman-survives-38-hours-at-sea-after-falling-off-cruise/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>falling from a Royal Caribbean ship</strong></span></a> cruising from China to Japan have some parties optimistic that a positive outcome can still be reached. </p> <p>In the Carnival Cruise Line statement, the cruise line said, “The company’s CareTeam is providing assistance and support to the missing guest’s family on board and our thoughts and prayers are with her and family and loved ones during this difficult time.”</p> <p>Our thoughts are with Rina’s family. We’ll update as more details come to light, but here’s hoping for a positive outcome. </p> <p><em>Image credit: Facebook / WFSB - Channel 3 Eyewitness News</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/06/man-kicked-off-p-and-o-cruise-after-flicking-cigarette-butt/"><strong>Man kicked off cruise after flicking cigarette butt off the side</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/08/woman-survives-38-hours-at-sea-after-falling-off-cruise/"><strong>Woman survives 38 hours at sea after falling off cruise</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/09/anthem-of-the-seas-rocked-by-massive-storm/"><strong>Anthem of the Seas rocked by another massive storm</strong></a></em></span></p>

Cruising

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Watch this exhilarating Exumas and Barbados sailing adventure

<p>If this video doesn’t make you want to visit the Caribbean, we don’t know what will!</p> <p>Artec, a music and video producer based in Miami, has released a video called “Land of the Sea” which depicts a once in a lifetime sailing trip through the Caribbean.</p> <p>We see the music producer explore the Barbados and the Exumas and take part in a range of exhilarating activities like diving, cliff jumping, kite boarding and surfing.</p> <p>The video also features “Deep Fear”, an original song by the artist, which provides the perfect backing to the events depicted in the video.</p> <p>Make sure you watch the video the full way through. Be warned though, your feet will be itching for an island escape by the end of it. </p> <p><em>Video credit: YouTube / Artec Media </em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/travel/international-travel/2016/01/10-most-amazing-man-made-structures/">10 most amazing man-made structures</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/travel/international-travel/2016/01/how-i-drove-a-motorhome-around-the-world/">When I retired I drove a motorhome around the world</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/travel/international-travel/2016/01/odd-and-amazing-toilets-from-around-the-world/">12 odd (but amazing) toilets from around the world</a></strong></em></span></p>

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