x cruise 5 maj

Din varukorg är tom

Din varukorg, beräknad totalsumma.

SKANDINAVIENS MEST MAXXADE PARTYKRYSSNING!

Upptäck X-CRUISE, Skandinaviens största och mest spektakulära partykryssning!

Med åtta år av oslagbar erfarenhet har X-CRUISE blivit känd för att leverera 40 timmars oavbruten fest och gemenskap i världsklass. Våra gäster jämför ofta denna otroliga upplevelse med en charterresa, där lycka och glädje är vårt signum. Så vad kan du förvänta dig på X-CRUISE? Tänk dig en resa där du skapar minnen för livet med likasinnade festprissar från hela Skandinavien. Dansa till de hetaste låtarna, njut av fantastisk underhållning och upplev en atmosfär som är full av energi och glädje. Vårt mål är att skapa en upplevelse utöver det vanliga, där du kan släppa loss och vara dig själv i en värld av fest och äventyr. Efter X-CRUISE kommer du inte bara ha minnen för livet, du kommer att längta till nästa äventyr! Så ta chansen och följ med oss på Sveriges bästa och mest galna festäventyr. Se till att boka din plats på X-CRUISE och vara en del av denna oslagbara festtradition som kommer att skapa minnen du aldrig kommer att glömma. Vi ser fram emot att välkomna dig ombord för en kryssning som kommer att överskrida dina förväntningar!

5e JUNI 2024 | 40h Baltic Queen, Tallinn

X-Cruise SUMMER FESTIVAL

Den 5-7 JUNI är det dags för ännu en X-CRUISE där vi tar er med på en 40-timmars partykryssning som vi som vanligt laddar med artister, dj's och massor av överraskningar.

X-CRUISE | AFTERMOVIE - WINTER EDITION 9-11 FEB 2024

Våra Artister ✘ SUMMER FESTIVAL 2024

SUMMER FESTIVAL 2024 - Upplev en extraordinär artistupplevelse ombord – våra stjärnor skapar minnen som varar för evigt.

SUMMER EDITION 2024 - RELEASE KOMMER LÖPANDE! SE NEDAN FÖR SENASTE LINEUPEN.

X-Cruise ✘ MERCH ⚓️

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Set Sail for an Unforgettable Party!

Dive into a world where music meets the waves. Join us for electrifying events and parties, featuring top-tier DJs, sensational singers, and thrilling activities. With X-Cruise, every moment is a memory waiting to be made.

Experience the X-Cruise Magic On-the-Go

Explore the best of X-Cruise with our mobile app. Book tickets, connect with attendees, and enjoy in-app games—all for a seamless entertainment experience.

Stay Connected with Chats

Browse upcoming events and secure your spot in just a few taps. Say goodbye to long queues and hello to hassle-free bookings.

Buy Tickets with Ease

Engage with Exciting Games

While you wait for the next big event, dive into our array of engaging games, ensuring the party spirit never fades.

X-Cruise App: Your Ultimate Event Companion

Dive into the heart of X-Cruise events with ease. Discover and book events, connect in chats, play games, and manage all your tickets in one streamlined experience.

Discover Upcoming Events

Dive into a curated selection of events. Browse through details, line-ups, and more to choose the perfect one for you. Every celebration is just a tap away.

Instant Ticket Purchases

No more waiting or queues. Secure your spot instantly, and get ready for an unforgettable experience with our easy ticketing process.

Engage in Real-Time Chats

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Dive into Group Discussions

Expand your conversations. Create or join group chats to discuss line-ups, coordinate meet-ups, or simply bask in shared excitement.

Entertaining In-App Games

The fun doesn't stop between events. Delve into our variety of games, ensuring you're entertained as you await the next big occasion.

Manage Your Tickets

Stay organized and always ready. Access all your purchased tickets in one place, ensuring smooth entries and zero hassles.

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X-Cruise is available for all your devices, including iOS and Android. Download it now and get started!

Mah Jongg Cruise On The Celebrity Silhouette March 7 - 11, 2024

Departing from Fort Lauderdale, board this luxurious 4-night cruise to the Caribbean.

Visit Key West, Nassau, and spend one day at sea while playing tons of Mah Jongg. ​

We have a few verandas available for $1134 per person.

Cruise fare includes:

*Beverage package *Unlimited Wi Fi & all gratuities *Mah Jongg playing throughout the cruise in a private room, including a

Mini Mah Jongg tournament.

*$25 of onboard credit

*This cruise is sold out. Please check out our other upcoming Mah Jongg vacations.

May Cruises

May cruise deals: your spring adventure awaits.

May cruises are much more than a summer preview, but an incomparable opportunity to savor flavors, vibes and emotions of spring! May cruise deals offer an array of fantastic destinations to choose ! Indulge in ultimate cruise journey for your next spring holiday!

CRUISES IN MAY 2024

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MSC Cruises

Majestic Princess - May 12, 2024

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May 12, 2024

May 12 - 19, 2024

Majestic Princess

Princess Cruises

7 Night Alaska Inside Passage

from Seattle, Washington

The May 12, 2024 cruise on the Majestic Princess departs from Seattle, Washington. On this 7 Night Alaska Inside Passage sailing, the ship will visit a total of 6 different cruise port destinations, including its departure port. The Majestic Princess sets sail on a Sunday (May 12, 2024) and returns on a Sunday (May 19, 2024).

Cruise Price by Cabin Type

The price of the May 12, 2024 cruise on the Majestic Princess ranges from $898 for an inside cabin to $1,448 for a suite.

This is a 7 night cruise and price per night is noted below for each cabin type. An inside cabin will cost $128 per night, an ocean view cabin will cost $(call) per night, a balcony cabin will cost $160 per night, and a suite will cost $206 per night.

$128 / night

$(call) / night

$160 / night

$206 / night

The Majestic Princess was built in 2017 and is amoung Princess's 17 ships in it's fleet. The Majestic Princess is included in the cruise line's Royal Class. In the cruise ship stats below you'll find the Majestic Princess vs all other Princess ships.

All Itineraries

Christened "The Emerald City", Seattle is known as one of the most livable cities in the world and actually receives less annual rainfall (36 inches) than New York and Atlanta. Surrounded by lakes, rivers, Puget Sound, and mountains, Seattle is a recreation enthusiasts' dream. In the summer, water sports are only 10 minutes away and winter sports, such as snow skiing, are only 45 minutes away.

Christened "The Emerald City", Seattle is known as one of the most livable cities in the world and actually receives less annual rainfall (36 inches) than New York and Atlanta. Surrounded by lakes...

Take advantage of the many on board activites during your day at sea. You'll have more than enough to fill your day!

The first cruise ship appeared in Ketchikan 114 years ago, and it has been a favorite port ever since. You can tour the area by boat, bus, horse-drawn trolley, or even a restored 1955 Chevy. The most famous part of town is Creek Street. The homes once comprising the red light district are now filled with arts, crafts and gift shops. Totem poles are everywhere, with 24 at Saxman Native Totem Park.

The first cruise ship appeared in Ketchikan 114 years ago, and it has been a favorite port ever since. You can tour the area by boat, bus, horse-drawn trolley, or even a restored 1955 Chevy. The most...

CRUISE ENDICOTT ARM & DAWES GLACIER

Alaska's capital city, Juneau, is located in Southeast Alaska. The Tongass Rain Forest climate provides Juneau with lush terrain and wildflowers. Visitors can find unparalleled glacier viewing from Tracy Arm Fjord, Mendenhall Glacier, the Juneau Icefield and Glacier Bay National Park, and outdoor enthusiasts will love Juneau's kayaking, dogsledding, rafting, biking, hiking and glacier hiking.

Alaska's capital city, Juneau, is located in Southeast Alaska. The Tongass Rain Forest climate provides Juneau with lush terrain and wildflowers. Visitors can find unparalleled glacier viewing from...

The picturesque town of Skagway is famous for it's hospitality, sightseeing and recreational opportunities. Visitors can enjoy scenic views of Laughton glacier and Parsons Peak, or take an evening walk across the swinging foot bridge to Yakatania point, where bald eagles and harbor seals fish for supper. No matter what you decide to do, you will be amazed with the sights and activities in and around Skagway.

The picturesque town of Skagway is famous for it's hospitality, sightseeing and recreational opportunities. Visitors can enjoy scenic views of Laughton glacier and Parsons Peak, or take an evening...

Founded as a fur-trading post by the Hudson Bay Company, Victoria is home to an interesting mix of cultures. There are English pubs, East Indian restaurants, and Japanese sushi bars. Chinatown features great buys at Market Square. Spend a pleasant afternoon among the flowers and waterways of world-famous Butchart Gardens.

Founded as a fur-trading post by the Hudson Bay Company, Victoria is home to an interesting mix of cultures. There are English pubs, East Indian restaurants, and Japanese sushi bars. Chinatown...

Port of Baltimore suspends ship traffic after bridge collapse: What it means for travel

Travel is being impacted by Tuesday’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse along Interstate 695 in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Drivers were immediately directed to take alternate routes through the city, following the early morning incident. What’s less clear is what the bridge collapse may mean for upcoming cruises in and out of Baltimore.

“Vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice,” the Port of Baltimore posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Live Updates: Baltimore's Key Bridge collapses after ship hits it; construction crew missing

Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., whose district includes the bridge and the port, called the collapse an “unthinkable horror” and said he had spoken with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the White House. 

Learn more: Best travel insurance

“They are responding with all of the assets at their disposal,” he said in a statement. “Our prayers right now are for the missing individuals and victims of this tragedy. We thank God for the effective service of our first responders.”

Here’s what we know.

Which cruises go to Baltimore?

Several major cruise lines serve Baltimore. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry’s leading trade group, published itineraries in the 2024 calendar year include a dozen ships making 115 stops in Baltimore.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy and collapse of the Key Bridge that occurred last night and extend our support and heartfelt prayers to all those impacted,” CLIA spokesperson Anne Madison said in an emailed statement. “We join everyone in extending our thanks and appreciation to the first responders and emergency workers in Baltimore, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other professionals who are working with one goal in mind—to save lives. We are closely following this situation.”

Carnival’s website shows Carnival Pride and Carnival Legend also have sailings into or out of Baltimore set for April. 

Carnival Legend will temporarily move operations to Norfolk, Virginia.

The ship's current cruise, which left for a planned round-trip sailing from Baltimore on March 24, will end in Norfolk on Sunday. Passengers will then receive free bus rides to Baltimore. The vessel's next cruise will sail round-trip from Norfolk later that day.

“Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore,” Carnival president Christine Duffy said in a statement. “We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.”

The cruise line has not yet shared plans for Carnival Pride. Carnival's parent company, Carnival Corp., said the temporary change in homeport is estimated to have an impact of up to $10 million on adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income this year, according to a news release .

Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas, which left from Baltimore on March 23 , will return to Norfolk instead on April 4. "Our guests on board will be provided compensation and complimentary shuttle transportation as well as Wi-Fi and phone calls to adjust their travel arrangements," a spokesperson said in an email.

The ship's April 4 and 12 cruises will leave from Norfolk, too. "Our guests booked to sail with us will receive compensation due to the necessary adjustments made to their vacations," the spokesperson added. "After returning from the April 12 cruise, Vision will head to the Bahamas for its previously scheduled maintenance."

Was your cruise itinerary changed?: What to do next

American Cruise Lines has roundtrip sailings from Baltimore scheduled in May, according to its website.

“We will monitor the situation and make adjustments to future cruises if needed, but at the present time our schedules remain unaffected, and our thoughts remain with those affected by the immediate situation and rescue efforts underway,” an American Cruise Lines spokesperson told USA TODAY.

Norwegian Cruise Line doesn’t appear to have any Baltimore sailings until September on Norwegian Sky . The line will stay in contact with the port and share any changes with passengers and travel partners, according to a spokesperson.

"In the meantime, we wish the city of Baltimore strength during this very unfortunate event," they said in an email.

Alternate routes for the Baltimore bridge

Most drivers can take Interstate 95 (Fort McHenry Tunnel) or Interstate 895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel) to avoid the collapsed bridge. However Maryland Transportation Authority notes there are some exceptions .

Vehicles carrying hazardous materials, including more than 10 pounds of propane, are not allowed in the tunnels. Additionally, vehicles more than 13-feet and 6-inches high or 8-feet wide may not use the 1-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. Vehicles more than 14-feet and 6-inches high or 11-feet wide may not use the I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel. 

Those vehicles should use the western portion of I-695 instead.

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The Five Minutes That Brought Down the Francis Scott Key Bridge

When a massive cargo ship lost power in Baltimore, crews scrambled to control the ship and to evacuate the bridge lying ahead. But it was too late.

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By Annie Correal ,  Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs ,  Campbell Robertson ,  Michael Forsythe and Mike Baker

Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs and Campbell Robertson reported from Baltimore, Annie Correal and Michael Forsythe from New York, and Mike Baker from Seattle.

Follow our live coverage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore .

“Hold all traffic on the Key Bridge.”

The terse command from an officer in Baltimore’s busy commercial shipping port was one of the first warnings of a disaster that experts now predict will transform shipping on the Eastern Seaboard and change how ships and bridges function around the world. But after the cargo ship Dali lost power early Tuesday, there were precious few minutes to act.

In those minutes, many people — from the ship’s crew, who sent out a mayday signal, to the transportation authority police officers, who stopped traffic heading onto the Francis Scott Key Bridge — did what they could to avert catastrophe, most likely saving many lives.

And yet — no matter what anyone did — several factors made catastrophe all but inevitable. When a ship of this size loses engine power, there is little to be done to correct its course, even dropping an anchor down. And the Key Bridge was particularly vulnerable. As long ago as 1980, engineers had warned that the bridge, because of its design, would never be able to survive a direct hit from a container ship.

The collision and subsequent collapse of the bridge swallowed up seven road workers and an inspector who could not be alerted and pulled off the bridge in time; two were pulled alive out of the water, but four others are still missing and presumed dead. Two bodies were retrieved on Wednesday, authorities said.

Also caught up in the disaster were the ship’s 21 crew members, all from India, who had prepared for a long journey to Sri Lanka on the Dali. While none of them were hurt, they would be held on board for more than a day as the ship sat in the harbor, the ruins of the bridge tangled around it, as authorities began their investigation.

The accident, the deadliest bridge collapse in the United States in more than a decade, will have a lasting impact on the Port of Baltimore, with its 8,000 workers, and industries that rely on the port, which is the leading American hub for auto and other wheeled equipment, said Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. transportation secretary, on Wednesday.

“It’s difficult to overstate the impact of this collision,” Mr. Buttigieg said.

He compared the Dali, roughly as long a city block, to the size of an American aircraft carrier.

“A hundred thousand tons, all going into this pier all at once,” he said of the impact on the bridge support structure.

Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation into the accident, boarded the Dali on Tuesday night to gather documentation. They obtained data from the voyage data recorder, the equivalent of an aircraft’s black box, hoping that it could help investigators determine what led to the accident.

Mr. Buttigieg said that any private party found liable in the accident “will be held responsible.”

The ship left the Port

of Baltimore around

1 a.m. on Tuesday.

Ship called for

tugboats to return

Francis Scott

Alarms sounded on ship

Traffic onto bridge was halted

The ship hit

at 1:28 a.m.

Alarms sounded

Traffic onto bridge

Sources: MarineTraffic, Google Earth

By Agnes Chang, Weiyi Cai, and Leanne Abraham

It was about half an hour past midnight on Tuesday when the Dali, loaded with cargo containers, departed its dock, guided by two tugboats, as is customary. On board was a local harbor pilot with more than 10 years of experience and deep familiarity with Baltimore’s port, as well as an apprentice pilot in training.

The sky above the Patapsco River was clear and still, lit by a full moon.

At 1:25 a.m., after the two tugboats detached and turned back, the Dali had accelerated to about 10 miles per hour as it approached the Key Bridge. But just then, according to a timeline released by the National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday, “numerous audible alarms” started sounding on the ship.

For reasons still being investigated, the ship’s powerful propulsion system stopped. The lights flickered out.

The ship had a “complete blackout,” according to Clay Diamond, head of the American Pilots’ Association, who was briefed on the account of the pilot of the Dali. (The chair of the N.T.S.B., Jennifer Homendy, said officials were still trying to determine whether the power failure was complete.)

The harbor pilot noticed the ship starting to swing right, in the direction of one of the piers holding up the Key Bridge. At 1:26, he called for the tugs to return; he urged the captain to try to get the engine back up and directed the crew to steer hard left. As a last ditch measure, at 1:27, he ordered the crew to throw down the port anchor.

One of the tugboats, the Eric McAllister, turned around and raced back toward the ship.

But the failures onboard were cascading. The emergency generator had kicked on, sending a puff of thick smoke belching from the ship’s exhaust stack and briefly restoring the lights, radar and steering. It did not help. With no effective propulsion, the 95,000-ton ship had become an unstoppable object, drifting toward one of the most heavily traveled bridges in Baltimore.

On land, officers with the Maryland Transportation Authority moved swiftly into action. “I need one of you guys on the South side, one of you guys on the North side, hold all traffic on the Key Bridge,” someone is heard saying on the audio recording of emergency radio traffic that night. “There’s a ship approaching that just lost their steering. So until they get that under control, we’ve got to stop all traffic.”

Vehicles were held on either side of the bridge as the ship continued its inexorable drift toward the 1.6-mile-long span.

A minute later, the officers turned their attention to several workers, some of them immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico, who were still laboring on the bridge in the chilly darkness, taking advantage of the light traffic at night to fix potholes.

“There’s a crew up there,” one officer is heard saying on the audio recording of the radio exchange between officers. “You might want to notify whoever the foreman is, see if we could get them off the bridge temporarily.”

But even then, the ship was striking the bridge. Almost at once, the pier buckled and collapsed, twisting over the ship, with its cargo containers stacked high on the deck. Then the rest of the bridge went, breaking into sections as it plummeted and splashed into the dark river waters below.

“The size and weight of these ships make them really difficult, even with propulsion, to stop them,” said Stash Pelkowski, a professor at State University of New York Maritime College and a retired Coast Guard rear admiral. With no power, he said, “There was very little the pilot or the crew on the Dali could do.”

The collapse had happened in seconds. Except for the stumps of the piers, the central span of the bridge had plunged into the frigid river — where divers would spend the whole day searching amid twisted metal for survivors — by 1:29 a.m.

“Dispatch, the whole bridge just fell down!” an officer called out. “Whoever, everybody, the whole bridge just collapsed.”

Stray ships had long been seen as a risk to the Key Bridge. Just a few years after the Baltimore structure was constructed in 1977, a vessel crash knocked down the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay, Fla., killing 35 people.

Officials acknowledged that the Key Bridge would not be able to withstand that kind of direct hit from a heavy cargo vessel. “I would have to say if that ship hit the Bay Bridge or the Key Bridge — I’m talking about the main supports, a direct hit — it would knock it down,” John Snyder, the director of engineering for the state Toll Facilities Administration told the Baltimore Sun at the time.

But building a bridge that could withstand such an impact was simply not economically feasible, he said. When the bridge was built, cargo ships were not the size they are today. A much smaller freighter did hit the bridge in 1980 , but the bridge stood strong.

Minutes after the bridge collapsed on Tuesday, both tugboats that had accompanied the Dali arrived on scene, followed soon by the Coast Guard and the Baltimore City Fire Department.

Two of the workers who had been on the bridge were rescued from the water. The others could not be found.

Jack Murphy, who owns Brawner Builders, the company whose workers had been on the bridge, got a phone call about the collapse and raced to the area, about a 30-minute drive away. He stayed by the bridge all night, and eventually began making calls to the men’s families.

Two workers’ bodies were discovered in a red pickup truck found near the bridge debris, police said Wednesday. They were identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, an immigrant from Mexico, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, a native of Guatemala.

About two miles from the bridge, Andrew Middleton had been lying awake when he heard the crash. He first thought it was thunder, maybe a low-flying jet.

It was only when he awoke a few hours later that he saw the news of the collapsed bridge. “I thought to myself, I was just with those guys yesterday,” he said.

Mr. Middleton, who runs Apostleship of the Sea, a program that ministers to sailors coming through the port, had driven the ship’s captain and a few crew members to Walmart on Monday to stock up on goods for the 28-day voyage ahead — toothpaste, snacks, clothes, Bluetooth speakers.

He recalled the captain telling him their next port was Sri Lanka, but that they were taking a longer route, down around South Africa, in order to avoid recent Houthi attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea.

Mr. Middleton immediately messaged the crew on WhatsApp after hearing the news on Tuesday, he said, and “they responded within a few minutes saying that everyone was OK,” he said.

Around the site of the bridge collapse, firefighters and rescuers in diving gear were swarming around the shore, followed by news crews. John McAvoy, who owns a nearby restaurant, had driven over with hot meals — chicken, crab balls and pretzel bites — to hand out to the crews.

But by nightfall on Tuesday, officials had called off the rescue efforts and said they would switch to searching for bodies. “The water’s deep, visibility’s low, it’s cold as I-don’t-know-what,” said Kevin Cartwright, a spokesman for the Fire Department.

The signs of all that had changed were only starting to become clear on Wednesday. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it was mobilizing more than 1,100 specialists to clear the wreckage of the bridge and unblock the Port of Baltimore’s shipping lane. In the meantime, Mr. Buttigieg, the secretary of transportation, said the East Coast would have to rely more heavily on ports outside Baltimore.

Mr. McAvoy said the tragedy would ripple over the port for years.

Fishing crews always have found their way home following the Key Bridge, he said. “It’s going to change a lot of things for a lot of people.”

Reporting was contributed by Daniel Victor , Jacey Fortin , Zach Montague , Eduardo Medina , Miriam Jordan and Judson Jones . Susan C. Beachy contributed research.

Annie Correal reports from the U.S. and Latin America for The Times. More about Annie Correal

Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs reports on national stories across the United States with a focus on criminal justice. He is from upstate New York. More about Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

Campbell Robertson reports on Delaware, the District Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, for The Times. More about Campbell Robertson

Michael Forsythe a reporter on the investigations team at The Times, based in New York. He has written extensively about, and from, China. More about Michael Forsythe

Mike Baker is a national reporter for The Times, based in Seattle. More about Mike Baker

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Biden white house close to finalizing menthol cigarette ban in the face of major pushback.

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The Biden administration is preparing to soon finalize highly anticipated standards targeting menthol cigarettes despite heavy opposition from small business, civil rights, law enforcement and free market consumer groups.

The regulations, which would broadly ban the product, were first proposed by the Food and Drug Administration two years ago and have sparked a contentious debate between health advocates and civil liberties and business groups.

The FDA has repeatedly missed target dates for finalizing the proposed ban, the latest of which was earlier this week.

“The FDA remains committed to issuing the tobacco product standards for menthol in cigarettes and characterizing flavors in cigars as expeditiously as possible; these rules have been submitted to the [Office of Management and Budget] for review, which is the final step in the rulemaking process,” an FDA spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “As we’ve made clear, these product standards remain at the top of our priorities.”

The spokesperson said the agency, which handed the regulations off to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final approval months ago, is limited from discussing the process further since the proposal remains pending.

White House spokesperson Kelly Scully declined to comment, also noting the rulemaking process is ongoing.

But the Biden administration’s continued delays in finalizing the regulations has caused angst among proponents of banning menthol cigarettes, many of whom have argued such an action is vital for achieving goals laid out in President Biden’s “Cancer Moonshot” initiative.

The administration was first expected to finalize the ban in August 2023, meaning its delays have stretched more than seven months.

“This continued inaction is a shocking deference to the tobacco industry, which has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to profit from products that result in death,” said Karen Knudsen, the CEO of the American Cancer Society and its affiliate Cancer Action Network.

Opponents of the ban expressed optimism that their advocacy has resonated with White House officials, potentially prompting them to reconsider the ban.

Associations representing convenience stores, police, consumers and minority groups have warned a ban on menthol cigarettes could foster a black market while punishing small business owners and minorities who are the largest consumers of the product.

According to OMB filings, the White House and FDA have convened a flurry of meetings on the proposal with a wide range of stakeholders, including proponents, such as the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network and American Lung Association, and opponents, such as the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement and National Action Network.

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“The proposed ban would have the exact opposite results that proponents have championed,” NACS said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We hope that FDA is reconsidering its policy in light of the evidence that these types of bans simply don’t work.”

“The proposed ban, while well-intentioned, could have had far-reaching economic consequences for convenience stores by cutting 30% of sales and the livelihoods of over 600,000 workers,” said Javier Palomarez, the president and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Business Council (USHBC).

NACS, USHBC and other opponents of the regulations have pointed to data from states that have banned menthol cigarettes, arguing such policies don’t work.

According to NACS, the rule would lead to a reduction of $72,285 a year in non-tobacco sundry sales and $160,107 a year in tobacco product sales for the typical convenience store nationwide.

The organization claims the convenience store industry could collectively lose $2.16 billion in sales because of the new regulations. 

Groups representing minorities, like the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement and the nonprofit National Action Network, the latter which was founded by civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton, argue that banning menthol cigarettes while not restricting non-menthol cigarettes “puts a microscope on minority communities.”

They say it could increase the probability of negative interactions between police and minorities.

The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement, National Action Network, National Newspaper Publishers Association and civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump met with Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf and Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden to discuss the proposal in November.

The FDA first issued the product standards to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and prohibit all characterizing flavors other than tobacco in cigars in April 2022.

The agency said the move would reduce disease and death from tobacco product use by reducing youth experimentation and addiction, while increasing the number of smokers that might quit.

Tobacco smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death nationwide, according to the FDA. In proposing the rules, the FDA cited its congressional authority to adopt tobacco product standards.

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Helldivers 2 Players Liberate Malevelon Creek in Hours to Redeem One of Their Biggest Major Order Failures

Operation swift disassembly rages on..

Developer Arrowhead Studios delivered a new Major Order to Helldivers 2 players, giving them a 24-hour window to finally take back Malevelon Creek. The planet was liberated in only about five hours.

The game-wide mission was sent across the galaxy today , and it didn’t take fans long to suit up and drop in. It’s an order that presented an opportunity to turn the tide of war against one of Super Earth’s greatest enemies, but it also gave fans a chance to reclaim their pride.

“Several weeks ago, our citizens watched in horror as Malevelon Creek fell to the Automatons,” the Major Order commanded. “Millions of valiant heroes perished attempting to defend it. For too long, the bots have maintained their illegal occupation, desecrating the memory of the fallen by rapidly depleting the planet’s exceptionally rich rhodium deposits. The travesty will be allowed to continue no longer.”

It continues: “Take vengeance for the fallen. Honor our heroes. End the theft of valuable minerals. Liberate Malevelon.”

For those who have yet to Helldive onto Malevelon Creek’s misty terrain, you should know that it’s covered with cold Automaton warriors that are armed to the teeth. With robot soldier camps polluting nearly every hill and plant life littered across the battlefield, the location provides players with a significant challenge – especially on higher difficulties.

It’s this same low-visibility environment that dealt Helldivers 2 fans their most significant failed Major Order to date. The previous mission arrived several weeks ago and asked soldiers to take the location and leave no prisoners. They were unsuccessful , though, with Helldivers unable to liberate Malevelon Creek within the time limit. The mission was such a disappointing endeavor that fans still post “remember Malevelon Creek” memes, as if they suffered a lost battle in the real world. When Arrowhead offered a chance at redemption, they made every second count.

“At long last, Malevelon Creek is free,” a celebratory in-game message says. “The heroes who died in its defense can finally rest in peace, knowing justice has been served, and the planet’s rhodium deposits will be mined by the citizens who rightfully own them. Colonists are returning to the ruins of their settlements, pickaxes in hand, hopeful for a prosperous future. For at last, dawn breaks upon a free Creek.”

Despite victory over Malevelon Creek, Helldivers were not rewarded the 35 Medals they were initially promised as a reward. Instead, the Major Order has been updated, asking players to now shift their focus to Ubanea for a reward of 40 Medals. They’ll need to then hold their ground until the order ends in two and a half days to finally claim what could be a significant win over the Automatons.

As Helldivers 2 players pivot to maintain control over the Severin Sector, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt is looking to take a new approach to the galactic war that could give fans a more rewarding experience. One thing players have wanted more clarity on is how Supply Lines work in-game. Many players may not even be aware that they are a feature that essentially allows Helldivers to strategize and keep enemy reinforcements from crashing a party.

The problem is that many feel Supply Lines aren’t clearly communicated in Helldivers 2. The @HelldiversAlert X/Twitter account spotted a fan-made solution from Reddit user TheKrzysiek that shows how the feature could be updated.

A Simple concept of what supply lines could look like in game 📹Thekrzysiek pic.twitter.com/Jfr1JW7Eh0 — Helldivers Alerts (@HelldiversAlert) March 31, 2024

It was well received amongst followers on social media, including Pilestedt himself. The creative director even went as far as to say that TheKrzysiek’s demo isn’t far off from a previous Arrowhead idea.

“It is surprisingly close to what we had in the game before,” he said in a post . “But we wanted to visualize all of the supply lines and it got way too cluttered. We are talking about making this more clear internally at the studio.”

It’s unclear how Major Orders will unfold in the future, but it’s clear Arrowhead is working around the clock to keep players on their toes. As the latest Major Order rolls on, be sure to read up on on our review , where we gave the game a 9/10. At the time, we said, "Helldivers 2's combat feels fantastic, its missions stay fresh and interesting, and its smart progression system doesn’t nickel and dime you."

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

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Cruise ship stuck in Spain will resume sailing after Bolivian passengers with visa problems removed

The Associated Press

April 4, 2024, 6:18 AM

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MADRID (AP) — A cruise ship stuck in the northeastern Spanish port of Barcelona will be able to resume its route after a group of Bolivian passengers with visa problems were taken off the vessel on Thursday, authorities said.

The Spanish government said in a statement it had reached an agreement with MSC Cruises Company in which 69 Bolivian passengers were removed from the boat and taken to a transit zone in the port, but were not granted permission to enter Spanish territory.

The ship got stranded in Barcelona this week after the Bolivian passengers were not allowed to disembark because they lacked valid documents to enter the European border-free Schengen area, an ID-check-free travel zone comprising 29 European countries that Spain is part of.

Barcelona was meant to be the final destination for the Bolivian passengers, but the boat was scheduled to travel onward to other countries.

The cruise company agreed to provide another boat from Livorno, Italy, for the Bolivian passengers later Thursday, the government statement said. It was not clear if that boat would remain in Barcelona until the situation is resolved or take the Bolivian passengers elsewhere.

Under the agreement, MSC Cruises will also provide food and health care for the impacted Bolivians and immigration officials will work to resolve the passengers’ visa problems as quickly as possible, it added.

The MSC Armonia, with more than 1,000 passengers reportedly on board, plans to sail to Italy on Thursday, the cruise company said.

Solange Duarte, a Bolivian diplomat in Barcelona, told The Associated Press on Wednesday she had received reports that some of the stranded Bolivians had been duped into obtaining fake visas but had no further information.

“We have asked the families to indicate who has processed this visa and we have not gotten answers,” she said.

Spain’s national police were looking into the possibility of a fake visa scam, Duarte said.

MSC Cruises said in a statement Wednesday the Bolivian “passengers appeared to have proper documentation upon boarding in Brazil” but Spanish authorities later said the visas were not valid for entry into the Schengen area.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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