Roundup: Cruises drop fuel fee; Vermont is healthiest state, says report; Zac Sunderland halfway there

Among our offerings for you this morning are good news for the cruise-going, bad news for Louisiana, and a look at the whereabouts and challenges ahead for 17-year-old adventurer Zac Sunderland, sailing solo around the world.

Cruise news | Two cruise companies announced Thursday that they will be doing away with fuel supplement charges. Carnival Corp. will do so for its North America cruise brands, which are Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and the Yachts of Seabourn. The change will be in effect from Dec. 17, 2008. For those who have already booked and paid, refunds of the charge will be made via shipboard credits. Norwegian Cruise Line will be suspending the fuel supplement charge for all trips in 2009; refunds with this line will also be handled with shipboard credits.

Health news | On Thursday, the United Health Foundation released its annual America’s Health Rankings report, which evaluates U.S. states on healthfulness, based on community and population health, environment and socioeconomics. Vermont topped the list as the healthiest state, followed by Hawaii, New Hampshire, Minnesota and Utah. The least healthy? Louisiana. California sits mid-list at #24. Our state’s strengths include low rates of smoking and obesity, and one of our biggest challenges is air pollution.

Adventure | Sailor Zac Sunderland, who, as a 16-year-old, set off from Southern California in June for a solo voyage around the world, recently turned 17 in the Indian Ocean. On a 36-foot boat, the young sailor is attempting to break the world record for youngest solo circumnavigator, and though he’s now halfway through his journey, the notoriously difficult Cape of Good Hope lies ahead. You can keep tabs on Zac’s progress through his blog.

– Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Photo: Sunderland pre-trip, when his boat was docked in Marina del Rey. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

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This entry was posted on Friday, December 5, 2008 at 8:58 am by Susan Derby and is filed under News, Tips & Advice, Outdoors & Adventure, Tours & Cruises. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.