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Janet Wygert, the newly promoted Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Marketing for Carnival Cruise Line, shares her passion for the cruise industry and her dedication to travel advisors. She also provides insight into her plans for her 38th year in the Carnival family as she leads her growing trade sales team. Janet chats with Northstar's EVP of Marketing and Partnerships, Mary Pat Sullivan, to share the latest developments, the new Funnel Favs program for advisors and all the latest updates on the new private island destination, Celebration Key.
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Travel + Leisure
2 hours ago
- Travel + Leisure
I Was Born Without Arms, but That Didn't Stop Me From Becoming the World's First Licensed Armless Pilot
For Travel + Leisure's column Traveling As, we're talking to travelers about what it's like to explore the world through their unique perspectives. We chatted with Jessica Cox, the world's first licensed armless pilot, who is now working on building the first exclusively foot-controlled plane with the Experimental Aircraft Association , called The Impossible Airplane . She also travels the world as a motivational speaker, encouraging people to not look at disabilities as inabilities. Here's her story… I was born without both my arms for no medical reason. They never developed in utero, and it's still a mystery to this day as to what exactly caused it—it was just one of those fluke things. But because it was from birth, I had my whole life to figure it out. In a sense, that was a gift because if you're born a certain way, and it's all you've ever known, you start with a clean slate. From the beginning, I made the connection that if there are no arms, why not use my feet? Our toes and feet have the same type of bones as our hands and fingers, so it was a normal transition for replacement. Quite frankly, I didn't even realize how different I was until I left my community. But the moment I did, I was constantly reminded I was different. That was hard and took some getting used to, especially dealing with the stares and reactions. I did everything to satisfy that norm, trying to blend in with prosthetic limbs for 11 years. But I never connected with them, so I said, why not just let them go? I made that decision as a 14 year old. I decided to give up the arms and figure out how to stand tall as someone who's different. It wasn't overnight, and it wasn't always easy. Jessica, at age 14 with her prosthetics. Travel was my love from a very early age. I got that from my mom. She's Filipino and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1970s. She was a well-established nurse there, so they invited her to come when there was a need for nurses here. She fell in love with being in the U.S., and met my father at an international party. He's rooted in the Deep South, so they couldn't be more different. But then they had this wonderful family with three children, and instilled in me the best of both worlds and a love for both worlds. I took my first big international trip to the Philippines when I was 8. It was life-changing to know there's a different world, and it never stopped. I've now spoken in 28 countries around the world and traveled to even more. Now, I will say, the difficulty for someone without arms to travel is magnified. Universal design—that is, designing products and environments to be usable by all—is something most people are aware of, but every person with a disability has individual needs and preferences. For example, I don't need an ADA-compliant hotel room. The benefit is that everything is lower down, so I can reach things more easily with my feet. But there are aspects that don't work for me. A roll-under sink, for example, is actually a disservice because if I'm using my feet as my hands, I have to be seated on the countertop. There's an assumption I need an ADA room, and I have to tell them, that depends on the room. We need to treat each person we encounter with the mindset that everyone's different. I've been speaking for 18 years now and it's a message that resonates with everyone: think outside the shoe. The exterior of Jessicas Ercoupe airplane. While I love travel, it has also meant conquering something anxiety-provoking for me: flying. When I flew commercially as a child, I would get so much tension from the experience, I'd have to take some medication. For many people, the fear comes from not having control. For me, it was the fear of the unknown. When you don't understand flying, and you take Hollywood as your example of what happens if a flight isn't smooth, it sparks fear. When I was 21 and straight out of college, I was approached to fly in a small plane. I thought, this is my chance to overcome this fear. The more I learned about aviation and aerodynamics, I realized I shouldn't be afraid. If you lose an engine, you just glide down to the ground and find somewhere to land—it's not like the plane falls out of the sky. Turbulence is going to happen. It's different when you're seeing all that has to come together to fly a plane, and to be there holding on to the controls. It's a very different position than being a passenger. I went up for my first flight in the cockpit of a small plane—a Cessna, typically a starter plane for beginners. The airplane had dual controls, meaning you can fly it from the right or left seat. I sat on the right side and the pilot in command (PIC), Bill, was in the left seat. While we were in the air, he said, 'Why don't you try and see what it's like to fly?' I wasn't the type of person to say no, so I took my shoe off and hesitantly brought my foot up to the yoke, the control wheel for steering. I grabbed a hold of it between my big toe and second toe. I looked over at Bill to my left and he had his hands off the controls. He said, 'You're flying the airplane!' It hit me at that moment—I wanted to do everything I could to become a pilot. When you overcome your fears, you get everything you've ever wanted on the other side of that—and so I became the first licensed pilot to fly a plane with her feet. I have a sport pilot certification to fly light sport aircraft, so I can take one passenger up to an altitude of 10,000 feet in the daylight. They call it the "$100 hamburger" because it means flying to a little neighboring airport, going in for breakfast, and then flying back. My most exciting flight was my first solo journey. My instructor stepped out of the airplane and said, 'Take her up, fly it around.' Knowing I was doing this myself was incredible. It gives you a sense of empowerment, like I have my life in my own feet. Of course, there have been challenging moments, too, that they call a near-miss. These occurrences sometimes happen among students. In my case, it was another student pilot who wasn't doing their radio calls correctly in the pattern. The only reason we knew it was a close call was because we had GoPros rigged up on my plane. When I show up at these airfields with small planes, it's usually older white men. You feel like a minority, undoubtedly. People see the exterior and think you can't do it. I've had to develop a thick skin and say, 'Yes, I can.' Once I showed them what I could do with my feet and the controls of an airplane, they were just like, 'Oh, you're a pilot.' Jessica with with EAA Chapter 898 working on the Impossible Airplane. Every year, Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) hosts the world's largest airshow—AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I've been going since about 2009. It's like a big party with airplanes. Most planes are designed for people with four limbs. I usually fly an Ercoupe, designed in the '30s and built in the '40s. It's the only airplane that was built without rudder pedals. The rudders are interconnected with the ailerons, meaning someone with two limbs can fly it. It's the only reason I'm flying today. For 18 years, I've been making my feet work on an airplane meant for hands. There are plenty of compromises in comfort, as you can imagine. My feet are up high and I'm not sitting comfortably. Now, we're working on another pioneering project with EAA Chapter 898, spearheaded by Bob Newman, to build the first-ever experimental airplane with unique modifications that can be flown with feet alone. For the last four years in Toms River, New Jersey, we've been building a custom four-seat RV-10 airplane, called The Impossible Airplane until it's built, at which point it will be named the I'm Possible Airplane. We're building it through my nonprofit Rightfooted Foundation International, which is focused on empowering that message that disability doesn't mean inability, as well as helping children and adults born without arms and various disabilities. Aviation is just one of our four programs. Another is providing a tool that helps people without arms get dressed on their own since it's the difference between independence and dependence. We have some ambitious goals. I'm hoping to become the first woman with a disability to fly around the world in a small aircraft in 2028. There are so many places around the world where having a disability has such a strong stigma. Children are hidden at home. People with disabilities aren't given a chance to go to school. They don't get to have a job. Some aren't seen as candidates for marriage or family life. We want to shift that. This flight around the world is going to show that if I can fly a plane with my feet, we should not hold back other people with disabilities. When you don't get to see the world, you have a limited perspective. The moment you see there's more, it opens up your world to possibilities. For instance, when I travel on my own, it's a great feeling of not just seeing another destination, but also the act of doing an international solo trip. Even the small things, like carrying luggage, requires a creative solution. Sometimes, it's scary not to have anyone to lean on, but when you put yourself in a bit of a scary position, it stretches the best version of yourself. Last March, I was on a long international flight sitting in economy plus. I couldn't use the table for eating a meal. The flight attendant thoughtfully brought out a huge tray—the one that holds meals in the top part of the cart—and put it on the floor in front of me, and we made a makeshift table. Solo travel is a celebration of these moments. When you have a physical disability, people often feel like they don't have the luxury of travel, but it's not true. I encourage people to not shy away from the things that scare them, and instead embrace them and see they can be great experiences. Face your fears and it can change your life.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
I always thought cruises were fun for adults. Taking my kids on one made me change my mind.
My husband and I took our first cruise 16 years ago for our honeymoon. We went on more cruises after becoming parents, but had never brought our kids with us. Taking my 10 and 13-year-olds on a cruise made me realize it's the perfect family vacation. Sixteen years ago, for our honeymoon, my husband and I went on our first cruise through the southern Caribbean. From elegant meals and relaxation by the pool to visiting multiple destinations without having to pack and re-settle repeatedly, we were sold from that first sailing. After becoming parents, we embarked on three more cruises to Alaska, Bermuda, and the Bahamas over the next decade. Each time, escaping without the kids, we found the respite we needed to return to parenting and the monotony of everyday life. We took a cruising hiatus But then COVID hit, and the idea of cruising fell to the back burner. As someone who is immunosuppressed, our getaways morphed into mountain adventures with the security of social distancing. But a piece of me yearned for the gentle rocking of the sea, for the socialization of meeting others who love traveling via the ocean, for the attentive staff that simply want you to have the best getaway of your life. Cruising called to me from afar. This past January, when my husband secured our boys' spring break week off from work, I turned to Google to discover what last-minute bookings were still available. I compared all-inclusive resorts to cruises that stopped at various ports, and by far, cruising was more affordable for our family of four. Pictures of Coco Cay, the Royal Caribbean island just north of Nassau, were displayed across my screen. Matching our dates perfectly, a cruise to the Bahamas was leaving from Bayonne, New Jersey — within an hour and a half's drive from our home. It felt meant to be — so we booked, and our love of cruising reignited. Cruising is more than a parent-only getaway With our boys — ages 10 and 13 — on board with us for the first time, I realized cruising is not only ideal for a parent-only getaway. It also happens to be the perfect vacation for families with tweens/teens because it offers more for less. The endless activities kept my boys busy for the entirety of our trip. Visiting a tropical beach like Coco Cay was blissful, and my boys experienced the white sand and clear water that our Jersey shore getaways lack. On board, when they weren't swimming or lounging in the hot tub, they were playing soccer or basketball in a state-of-the-art sports arena or partaking in one of the unique adventures our ship had to offer — like iFLY, FlowRider (surf simulator), and Bumper Cars. Live music and entertainment energize the evenings, and activities like rock climbing and cooking, and exercise classes are around every corner. My sushi-loving teen and I took a sushi-making class, and it did not disappoint. The ongoing schedule of activities is organized in the cruise line app, so you'll never miss a thing. Aboard the ship, it was as if my boys had traveled back to the 1990s. Our world has become unsafe for children to wander without adult supervision, but on cruises, teens can explore independently in a safe, family-friendly environment — possibly the best aspect of cruising with older kids! The ship's boundaries become a haven for teens in search of independence, and even tweens can roam safely in smaller areas like the pool deck. Cruising also solves the travel dilemmas that families typically face. While you're dining in elegance, the ship is sailing toward a new port. How else can you expose your children to multiple destinations and cultures in one trip without packing and repacking, wasting time in the car or on a plane, and without spending the exorbitant cost for airline tickets? You can't. Forget the backseat arguments and boredom that comes with road travel because the fun doesn't stop while you're sailing. They made friends on the boat From poolside friendships to designated teen hangout spaces, kids are also bound to meet others around the same age — and unlike meeting a friend at a resort on land, these new buddies are there for the entirety of your vacation. On the first day, my 10-year-old made a new friend and now they stay in touch via iMessenger. My husband and I used to cruise for a break from parenting. But now that my kids are older, I'm convinced cruising is the perfect family getaway, and we don't intend to sail without our boys again. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
Fox News
7 hours ago
- Fox News
Man throws darts at world map, visits whichever country he hits: 'Are you crazy?'
A man has made travel an unpredictable adventure by throwing a dart at a map of the world while blindfolded — and visiting whichever country his darts happen to hit. Sorin Mihailovici, 48, a small business entrepreneur, started the journey in 2012 after telling a friend he wanted to "wake up one morning and throw a dart at a map and go there." Mihailovici began by visiting far-flung places like the North Pole, Russia and Indonesia, originally taking annual trips but now traveling to up to 16 destinations a year. The trips were initially funded by his savings and later through partnerships with companies, per SWNS. He doesn't travel to the exact spot where his dart lands, but begins in the country's capital because some nations, such as Uruguay, are too small for precise targeting, said Mihailovici. Mihailovici's favorite countries so far include Iceland, Argentina and Thailand, while Madagascar ranked "hands down" as his least favorite, he said, due to a "misconception" shaped by the animated movie sharing its name and locals who "didn't have the best intentions." Praising Vietnam, Mihailovici, a Canadian, insisted its cuisine is "the best street food I've ever had," and noted it was the cheapest destination that he's traveled to, SWNS reported. Some countries, especially in Scandinavia like Norway and Sweden, and places like Switzerland and the Maldives, can be quite expensive, he pointed out. Mihailovici's travel show, "Travel by Dart," features footage from his trips. He began editing and publishing the clips during the COVID pandemic, eventually selling the concept to a distribution company, as SWNS reported. "While we were at home, I started editing all those materials from every country and created a season of 13 episodes," he said. "Most of the time it's just me on location. I hire a local videographer, film and create episodes for YouTube — and over the years, I've started doing a show for Amazon Prime." Despite the unpredictable nature of his travels, Mihailovici said he isn't afraid of dangerous destinations. He was in Iraq recently, he said. "People said, 'Are you crazy?' Maybe it was not safe, but nothing happened to me. We went to Baghdad and Babylon. It was great. I was eating camel every day," Mihailovici told SWNS. He admitted he was "a little scared" about going to Iraq given the political situation, but was determined to follow through with wherever the dart suggested he go. "It was great. I was eating camel every day." "The idea is to visit the whole world, each and every country by dart," Mihailovici said. "I did all the big ones that are larger on the map," he said. "The smaller ones are hard to hit, and I'm also blindfolded [while throwing the dart], so I can't pinpoint it to a certain continent." Mihailovici said he hopes to continue expanding his travel list. He said Australia and Spain are his next dream destinations, though he admits they're "hard to hit" and plans another dart throw in August, according to SWNS. Among the countries he's traveled to so far are Easter Island, Indonesia, Bermuda, Portugal, Cuba, Thailand, Colombia, Brazil, Italy, Iceland, Greece, Japan, Antarctica, Germany, Vietnam, India, Turkey, South Korea and Yemen, SWNS reported. Mihailovici said hotels sometimes offer gratuities to be featured in his show, per SWNS.
