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Ritz-Carlton taking reservations for first luxury yacht

WASHINGTON — Chevy Chase, Maryland-based The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has set the itineraries and opened reservations for the first Ritz-branded cruise ship that sets sail in 2020.

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will eventually include three yachts. The first can accommodate up to 298 passengers in its 149 suites. Each suite includes its own private terrace, and guests get a dedicated personal assistant to help them plan activities.

The first yacht will cruise a wide variety of destinations, including the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America, Canada and the Northeastern U.S.

Because of its size — 190-meters — it can also call on locations typically not accessible to larger cruise ships.

Traveling at sea in luxury comes with a price.

Cabin fares for its inaugural 10 day Caribbean cruise in February 2020 from Fort Lauderdale to Martinique start at $7,900 to more than $33,000 for of the the yacht’s Owners Suites.

“As the first luxury hotel company to bring the legendary service and ambiance of its resorts to sea, we are thrilled to offer guests a new way to create memories with The Ritz-Carlton,” said Lisa Holladay, global brand leader for The Ritz-Carlton.

“From the yacht’s design, to programming onboard and ashore, every aspect of the voyage has been carefully created to embody the signature service and casual luxury of a Ritz-Carlton resort,” she said.

The ship, and two others coming later, are owned by private investors led by Oaktree Capital Management LP.

The Ritz-Carlton has a long-term management contract. The Ritz, and its parent company Marriott International, do not have a financial investment or ownership stake in the ships.

Massachusetts court hears arguments in lawsuit alleging Meta designed apps to be addictive to kids

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts' highest court heard oral arguments Friday in the state's lawsuit arguing that Meta designed features on Facebook and Instagram to make them addictive to young users. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, alleges that Meta did this to make a profit and that its actions affected hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Massachusetts who use the social media platforms. “We are making claims based only on the tools that Meta has developed because its own research shows they encourage addiction to the platform in a variety of ways,” said State Solicitor David Kravitz, adding that the state's claim has nothing to do the company's algorithms or failure to moderate content. Meta said Friday that it strongly disagrees with the allegations and is “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.” Its attorney, Mark Mosier, argued in court that the lawsuit “would impose liabilities for performing traditional publishing functions” and that its actions are protected by the First Amendment.
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