Consumer confidence plummeted to record low this month, study reveals — though spending shows a glimmer of hope

Consumer confidence plummeted to record low this month, study reveals — though spending shows a glimmer of hope

Consumer confidence across the United States plunged to an all-time low this month, as Americans grapple with anxiety over the war in Iran, new data revealed.  The University of Michigan’s long-running Survey of Consumers tracks how Americans feel about the economy, their personal finances and spending — shaped by factors like inflation, the cost of … Read more

Why your upcoming cruise vacation is on the line amid Strait of Hormuz blockade

Why your upcoming cruise vacation is on the line amid Strait of Hormuz blockade

Global crisis = altered cruises. The war in Iran continues to rage, amplified this week by the US blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a sea corridor through which 20 million barrels of oil and a fifth of the world’s natural gas supplies traverse each day. The conflict has spiked crude oil prices, affected travel costs, … Read more

Cruise lines forced to cancel planned sailings on six ships still trapped in Middle East war zone

Cruise lines forced to cancel planned sailings on six ships still trapped in Middle East war zone

Six cruise ships remain trapped in the Persian Gulf due to conflict in the Middle East, forcing cruise lines to cancel a slew of sailings — and leaving the floating havens for relaxation anything but. While a majority of the whopping 15,000 cruise passengers that had been previously stranded in the danger zone have been repatriated, … Read more