Welcome to The Morning Shave for Friday, August 15, 2025. Norwegian Cruise Line is launching is private island experience with a massive water park, the United States is leaving UNESCO, and World of Hyatt is holding an auction to celebrate the integration of Bunkhouse Hotels into its portfolio. Visit BaldThoughts.com/tms to read all the stories.
We read a ton of travel articles each day for our research to share the best travel tips, tricks, and news with you. Here are the articles we think you should read.
Don’t miss out on any new posts. Join our email list for the latest tips, tricks, and travel news.
The Morning Shave
The US Is Leaving UNESCO: Here’s What Comes Next.
UNESCO seeks to preserve culturally significant and historic sites around the world. While the U.S. is a relatively young nation compared to countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa, we still have numerous UNESCO sites worthy of preserving for future generations. It is sad that we’ve taken a step back from our global leadership on issues like this. Hopefully, these inconic monuments and sites will stay protected until we come to our senses.
NCL will put its own twist on the private island waterpark.
It’s no longer enough for cruise ships to offer incredible amenities aboard the ships. Over the last decade or so, they’ve also taken over private islands and turned them into exclusive playgrounds that only their customers can visit. While I love the idea of getting more for your money, I hate the concept of privatizing islands and charging to access them. That being said, the water park at Great Stirrup Cay looks amazing. What are your thoughts on cruising and these private islands?
Bid World of Hyatt Points for Exciting Packages at Bunkhouse Hotels.
To celebrate the integration of Bunkhouse Hotels into World of Hyatt, you can bid on four special travel experiences at one of the brand’s locations. The auctions run through August 18, 2025, so there’s not much time left to big on one of these special prizes.
Air Canada Cancels Flights Ahead of Flight Attendant Strike.
The work stoppage begins on Saturday, and it could affect more than 100,000 passengers a day until the strike is over. Flights started being canceled on Thursday in preparation for the potential work stoppage. The flight attendant union issued a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday, and the airline responded with a lockout notice. So, it seems that both sides aren’t willing to budge on the issue. This is yet another reason why it’s important to have one of the best airline credit cards that includes free trip protections.
Summer travel isn’t as easy as it used to be for airlines.
Airfare is on the rise, and airlines are reducing their flight schedules. Even though summer isn’t over, some students have already gone back to school. On top of that, consumers are feeling the pinch of tariffs and inflation on their wallets, and many have already spent their travel budget earlier in the year. To compensate for the lost revenue, airfares went up 4% in July over the prior month, and airline’s domestic capacity is down 6% in August compared to July. How are these changes affecting your travel plans as we head into the Fall?
Thinking of getting a new credit card?
To see the best credit card offers available, go to our credit card marketplace to find your next card.
They are all following the very successful and lucrative Royal Caribbean playbook. They’re keeping travelers captive rather than releasing them into some random port where they would spend money elsewhere.
Yeah, that captive audience model works in many places – amusement parks, remote islands (like the Maldives), and cruise line private islands. Not only will they get your money, but there’s no competition, so prices are often higher than normal too.
UNESCO is too political. They are anti-Israel at the same time as being Anti-Muslim in some cases. They are too influenced by certain countries that are a threat to some of the sites in the US. They want to preserve historical sites in some cases, but often at the expense of local natives, and only if it is preserved and offered with their politically biased view of history. It’s not as good as you think.
People throw around the term of being a “UNESCO World Heritage” site, so it must be good, but at whose expense?
Thanks for sharing the insights, Dan. I have never checked into the background of the organization.