Latest news with #Breakaway
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Norwegian Cruise Line passengers are cashing in as demand drops
Norwegian Cruise Line recently revealed that it's facing a concerning trend in traveler behavior that's led to a slowdown in cruise bookings in one typically high-demand region. The cruise line's leadership team attributes the trend to economic uncertainty, which seems to be leading Americans to forego long-haul trips this year. Related: Cruise industry bracing for fight with beloved destination Although Norwegian reports that bookings have been mostly steady for cruises departing from common U.S. ports, the cruise line has experienced what it refers to as "choppiness" when it comes to bookings for cruises in one sought-after travel region that's not so close to home. Norwegian is sailing multiple ships to bucket-list destinations in the region this summer, and to help drive bookings for those upcoming cruises, the cruise line has started making some significant price cuts. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. If you've been dreaming of a summer cruise in the Mediterranean, now may be an ideal time to book with Norwegian Cruise Line. A slowdown in bookings for this summer's season of Europe cruises has led the cruise line to launch some limited-time discounts on cruise fares for select itineraries. Some passengers who already booked their summer Mediterranean cruises at higher prices have even been able to reprice their cruises, upgrade their cabins, and/or get onboard or future cruise credits simply by contacting the cruise line about the price drop. Related: Norwegian Cruise Line faces troubling trend "We sail in August on Breakaway and had booked an inside cabin. Checked on Monday and price had gone down ~£200 for the both of us. Checked today and another reduction. Emailed our [cruise consultant] and we're now in a balcony and paying £90 less than our original deal - and have 3 extra specialty dining credits each too," RassilonGallifrey recently shared in the NCL community on Reddit. Other cruisers chimed in on the thread to report that they've also been able to contact the cruise line and reprice their cruises. "I called my [personal cruise consultant] and the price of my cruise went down by $820. I was pleasantly surprised," Ok-Negotiation-7281 wrote. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. One cruiser noted that keeping an eye on their cruise price has paid off multiple times. "I literally check every day when I have a cruise booked. My upcoming August cruise went down about 4 times since I booked it. Saved me a good amount of money. If you see a price drop jump on it immediately, it could change again the next day," Rope-Fuzzy pointed out. And watching the price of your booked cruise doesn't just pay off for Europe cruises, as another cruiser's recent experience reveals. Upcoming Alaska cruises are currently showing some discounts, too. Related: Norwegian Cruise Line quietly stops sailing in one popular region "Oh, the call to price check can be so worth it. We have a large 2-bedroom family suite for our Alaska cruise next week and thanks to giving NCL a call few weeks ago, we are getting a C$4,327.94 [future] cruise credit. Not too shabby," SpeedyBurnabite shared. If you have a Europe or Alaska cruise booked with Norwegian this summer, you may want to contact your travel agent or your NCL personal cruise consultant to ask about any options that may be available to you. Even if you've already made your final payment, you may be able to get a future cruise credit like SpeedyBurnabite did. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@ or call or text her at 386-383-2472. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kelly Clarkson Seemingly Shades Ex Brandon Blackstock in Rare Comment About Coparenting Dynamic
Kelly Clarkson seemingly shaded her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, in a rare comment while voicing her frustrations about their coparenting dynamic. The 'Breakaway' singer, 42, spoke about the guilt she feels when she has to leave her kids for work or miss school events to Kylie Kelce during the Thursday, March 27, episode of her 'Not Gonna Lie' podcast. "It's funny though how different it is because even from a young age, like we didn't teach them [that]," Kelly, who shares two kids, 8-year-old Remy and 10-year-old River, with her ex, 48, explained. "Just innately, you're like, 'He's allowed to be somewhere, but you're not.' Like, that is real interesting." Kelly got real about the situation, adding, "There's a lot that I keep in because … coparenting is fun. It's like, 'Oh, he couldn't come because this,' and I'm like, 'Okay, cool.' Do you think I just leave and just sit in the park all day?" Kelly and Brandon were married for almost seven years before the American Idol alum filed for divorce in June 2020. Although Kelly was the one to initiate the legal filing, a source told Life & Style that she was having trouble adjusting to single life post-divorce. 'She's finding her divorce more difficult to deal with than she anticipated,' the insider said in July 2020. 'Kelly thought that moving forward with the divorce the right thing to do at the time, but now that Brandon has filed documents responding to her petition, she's having some regrets.' The source added that Kelly was 'trying to keep herself busy with work and writing music,' but it wasn't 'enough to take her mind off things. It doesn't help that the divorce is happening during a pandemic — it's preventing her from seeing her friends in person and going out. She feels so alone and relies on social media comments from fans to cheer her up.' Things continued to get tense between the former couple as a legal battle ensued. Kelly and Brandon were declared legally single in 2021, however, the divorce wasn't finalized until a year later in March 2022. The three-time Grammy winner was ordered to pay her ex a one-time payment of $1.3 million, along with $200,000 a month in spousal and child support until January 2024. As a part of their agreement, Kelly was granted primary custody of their children, while Brandon was given custody one weekend every month. The Kelly Clarkson Show host shared how she approached honesty with her children about the divorce, turning it into a valuable learning experience. "I think the most important thing I've learned in therapy, especially through this divorce, is 'Don't hide everything from your kids.' Obviously, don't talk about stuff that you shouldn't talk about, but it's okay if they see you cry, or it's okay if they see you've had a bad day," she told Variety in September 2022. She continued. "You start to feel that kind of shame, like, 'I've got to put my best foot forward as a mom because I don't want them to be affected.' But then you allow your kids to express empathy, and they learn how to say, 'Oh, man, I'm sorry you had a hard day.'"
Fox News
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Kelly Clarkson confesses she's ‘lost' a lot as she returns to talk show after mysterious absence
Kelly Clarkson returned to her talk show with a cryptic message after an unexplained absence. While the "Since U Been Gone" singer marked a major milestone Thursday with her 1,000th episode of "The Kelly Clarkson Show," she admitted to her fans that she has "lost" a lot of things thorughout the duration of the program. "I cannot believe today marks the 1,000th. It's crazy," she greeted a roaring crowd. "We have met some hugely talented people, tons of big stars and inspiring everyday heroes." "For 1,000 episodes, we have laughed together, we have cried together with beautiful stories, sang together with some people, danced together, celebrated and competed together," Clarkson shared. "I've lost, alone, a lot," she said, but didn't explain what she was referring to. Her fans were heard sympathizing with her, saying, "Aww" in the background, as Clarkson replied, "It's OK." She appeared to shrug off her vulnerable comment. The "Miss Independent" crooner reflected on how, during the five-year journey of her show, she and her crew and audience have "created a community and supported each other through a lot of ups and downs." "A lot of ups and downs personally as well," she emphasized, as she appeared to reference her own life. "And along the way, we found comfort in one another. . . ." Clarkson remarked. "I am grateful to everyone who has been a part of this journey. It has been such a cool time." The former "The Voice" coach debuted her talk show on Sept. 9, 2019. The exact cause of her extended absence from her show this month remains unclear. She was absent for nearly two weeks while a variety of celebrities acted as guest hosts, and she returned March 18 only to have another guest host take her place the following day. For the March 20 episode, her 1,000th, she returned, and is set to host on March 21 as well. Reps for Clarkson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Clarkson's 1,000th episode comes after she's endured a tumultuous few years, as she navigated a highly publicized divorce from her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock. The aftermath of their messy split included a bitter battle over finances and custody of their children. In 2020, Clarkson filed for divorce from Blackstock, who also served as her manager. Clarkson earned a legal victory in 2023 when a California labor commissioner ruled that Blackstock must pay the "Breakaway" singer $2,641,374 for overstepping in his managerial role and "unlawfully" procuring deals, according to court docs obtained by Fox News Digital. During the time Blackstock was her manager, he made deals that her agent should have handled instead. The former "American Idol" winner's ex was ordered to pay Clarkson more than $2.6 million for the fees he collected from contracted deals with "The Voice," Billboard Music Awards, "The Kelly Clarkson Show," Norwegian Cruise Line and more. The two were married in 2013, but they had known each other previously as Blackstock's father, Narvel Blackstock, owns the music management company that represented Clarkson beginning in 2007. The divorce was settled in 2022, with Clarkson receiving primary physical custody of their two children, River and Remington, while still paying their father $45,000 a month in child support.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kelly Clarkson admits she has had 'a lot of personal ups and downs' in recent years
Kelly Clarkson has had "a lot of ups and downs" personally in recent years. The 42-year-old singer - who split from Brandon Blackstock in 2022 after just under a decade of marriage - has carved out a secondary career as a TV host with her eponymous talkshow since 2019 and as she celebrated her milestone 1000th episode, admitted that she has had to deal with a lot away from the cameras as well. During Thursday's (20.01.25) episode, she told the studio audience: "I cannot believe today marks the 1,000th. It's crazy. "We have met some hugely talented people, tons of big stars and inspiring everyday heroes. "We have created a community and supported each other through a lot of ups and downs. "A lot of ups and downs personally as well!" The 'Behind These Hazel Eyes' hitmaker did not address her divorce specifically, and instead reflected on the times she hosted the show "with an eye patch" and with her leg in a cast" on two separate occasions as she dealt with injuries. Kelly - who has River, 10, and eight-year-old Remy with her ex-husband - added that she and her audience have "laughed and cried" together upon the celebration. She said: "For 1,000 episodes, we have laughed together, we have cried together with beautiful stories, sang together with some people, danced together, celebrated and competed together." The 'Breakaway' songstress previously revealed that production on the first season of the show was "really rough" for her because she had to deal with so much in her personal life. She said: "'I was going through a really rough few years, and even in the first season it was rough behind closed doors. "Just to be able to come into season 5 feeling good and knowing my kids feel good — and the dust has settled. Season five is my first season to actually enjoy every minute of it."
Forbes
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘American Idol' Has Produced Some Of The Most Successful Female Artists This Century
Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Fantasia Barrino make Billboard's top 100 women artists of the ... [+] twenty-first century list, demonstrating American Idol's lasting influence. Kelly Clarkson speaks onstage at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards held at The Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images) For years, American Idol was the biggest reality TV show on television. The series churning out superstar after superstar, with many enjoying lengthy and successful careers. The program created household names, helped sold millions of records, and, for a time, seemed like a guaranteed pipeline to fame. While the show is still on the air, its ability to launch major careers has dwindled significantly. Despite this fact, the impact it has had on the music industry is undeniable — and a recent Billboard ranking of the top 100 women artists of the twenty-first century proves just how influential the competition once was. Not one, not two, but three American Idol alumni appear on the list. Two of those winners even come remarkably close to landing inside the top 10. Kelly Clarkson, the first-ever American Idol champion, lands at No. 11 on Billboard's list. This ranking isn't shocking — if anything, it's expected. Clarkson has been a mainstay in pop music for more than two decades, charting hit after hit while evolving from reality TV winner to one of the industry's most respected vocalists, and a TV host herself. Since her American Idol win in 2002, Clarkson has amassed multiple No. 1 hits, including 'Since U Been Gone' and 'Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You).' She's also released several bestselling albums, with Breakaway, Stronger, and Meaning of Life standing out as major successes, all of which helped send her toward the top 10 on this historic ranking. Not far behind Clarkson comes Carrie Underwood, at No. 13. That's a lofty placement, considering the fact that her primary success has been within the country music genre. Underwood's placement is a bit more surprising, when compared to Clarkson's. Country stars, even massively successful ones, don't always achieve the same crossover dominance as pop artists. That said, Underwood has continually defied expectations throughout her career. Since winning American Idol in 2005, she has reigned as one of the biggest names in country music. Songs like 'Before He Cheats,' 'Jesus, Take the Wheel,' and 'Cowboy Casanova,' as well as huge albums such as Some Hearts, Blown Away, and Cry Pretty, have helped her become a country standard – and even find fans beyond the one style. Fantasia Barrino, yet another American Idol champion, also finds a spot on the ranking — though much lower than her fellow winners. She appears at No. 98, narrowly making the Billboard tally. While her career hasn't reached the same commercial heights as Clarkson's or Underwood's, she found enough success early on to find space on this tally. Fantasia's career took off after her 2004 victory, with hits like 'I Believe,' 'When I See U,' and 'Truth Is,' and people fell in love with her because of her stunning voice, while many related to her backstory. She's largely remained successful in the R&B genre, but early on, she scored more general wins. While American Idol hasn't produced a megastar in quite some time – when was the last winner to score several Hot 100 hits? – its past successes continue to shape the music industry. Clarkson, Underwood, and Fantasia's placements on Billboard's women-focused list highlight just how dominant the show was in the 2000s through the early 2010s. At its peak, it didn't just create stars, it produced icons who could compete with the biggest names in the business.
