Cruise lines

NCL Breakaway’s Rockette powered

When the Norwegian Breakaway is christened in May, it will have the Rockettes as its godmothers.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship will have New York as its year-round home port and is designed to have strong ties to New York, with Peter Max paintings of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty on its hull.

The cruise line announced last week that it will be the “official cruise line” of the Rockettes and Radio City Music Hall. Two Rockettes will sail aboard the ship’s first cruises and one cruise a month after that, offering fitness classes and meet-and-greets. The Norwegian Breakaway will begin cruises May 12 to Bermuda, and later to the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Florida.

Airlines

American

cuts flights

Flight cancelations have spiked at American Airlines, which is fighting with unhappy pilots, and the carrier will reduce flights at least partly because of staffing shortages.

American, which has been under bankruptcy protection since November, will cut its schedule for the rest of this month and next by 1 to 2 percent due to “a number of factors” including an increase in pilots calling in sick and maintenance reports filed by flight crews, said airline spokesman Bruce Hicks.

The cancelations come a few days after American imposed new cost-cutting terms on its pilots, including outsourcing more flying jobs to other airlines and terminating one of the pilots’ retirement programs in November.

Dining abroad

How safe is that food stand?

Should you eat food from street vendors when traveling abroad? Safety experts say no, but Budget Travel magazine’s August issue has good advice for travelers who want to try a sample.

Make sure the food is very hot, it advises. Choose a cart with “a long line and a quick turnover. In the developing world, bring your own bowl and utensils. Avoid carts where flies are flitting.”

And “I f you don’t see a place where workers can wash their hands, pass.”

Hotels

Hard Rock has plans in China

Hard Rock International plans to open two Hard Rock Hotels in Shenzhen and Haikou, China, in collaboration with Mission Hills Group, an international golf brand. The 280-room Hard Rock Hotel Shenzhen and 250-room Hard Rock Hotel Haikou are expected to open in 2015.

Airlines

Resumed service

Caribbean airline Winair said it will resume daily flights between St. Maarten and St. Kitts & Nevis on Oct. 29. The flights had been suspended three years ago during the airline’s reorganization.

Miami Herald

wire services