NEW YORK (Reuters) -Three-time NBA champion Rick Fox on Monday said he will run for a seat in the Bahamas’ House of Assembly in an election due to be held no later than October.
“As a candidate and as a leader for the Bahamas I will demand transparency, honesty, integrity while demanding a level of excellence from all of us,” Fox wrote on social media.
“This is bigger than party politics. This is the Bahamas versus the world. Imagine a nation where every Bahamian feels secure, safe, empowered, and proud.”
Fox, who was born in Canada to a Bahamian father and Canadian mother, played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association as a forward for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics.
Under the Bahamas’ parliamentary system, Fox will run to represent one of 39 constituencies but he did not specify which one.
Prime Minister Philip Davis will decide the date of the election, which must occur within five years of the last election in 2021.
Earlier in November, Fox announced he was forming the Good Neighbors Party with an agenda focused on regional integration in the Caribbean.
He was not immediately available for comment on Monday.
Fox won three NBA titles with the Lakers from 2000 to 2002 and retired in 2004.
While in the NBA, he launched an acting career and has since starred in films and television shows like “Ugly Betty,” “Greenleaf” and “One Tree Hill.”
Fox has continued to live in the Los Angeles area but has a home in the Bahamas, where he was appointed ambassador at large for sports in 2022.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward in New York; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Hurricane Melissa weakened to a Category 2 storm that is expected to cause catastrophic damage as it passes through Cuba, a day after it hit Jamaica as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record.
The hurricane passed through eastern Cuba on Wednesday morning with 105 mile-an-hour winds, and is expected to dump as much as 25 inches of rain in certain areas, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm made landfall early Wednesday in the Cuban province of Santiago de Cuba with maximum sustained winds of close to 120 mph.
The Rio Cobre overflows its banks near St. Catherine, Jamaica, on October 28, 2025, as Hurricane Melissa tore into the island.
RICARDO MAKYN
AFP via Getty Images
When catastrophic Hurricane Dorian became the strongest storm ever to hit The Bahamas six years ago, submerging the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama under floodwaters, the U.S. government was among the most generous of responders.
Washington, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, deployed search-and-rescue teams, airlifted over 50 metric tons of critical relief supplies from a warehouse in Miami and dispatched a disaster team. The $33 million response included seaplanes the humanitarian agency chartered to ferry responders and visiting lawmakers to the devastation.
That was during the first Trump administration — before USAID was dismantled.
Now, as Hurricane Melissa threatens Cuba, the southern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands after battering Jamaica with 185 mph winds and torrential rains on Tuesday, people re bracing not only for the storm’s aftermath, but also for the stark reality of recovering without the safety net that USAID once provided.
The scale of support seen after Dorian will almost certainly not be repeated this year.
“My fear after this hurricane passes is that that’s only going to be the tip of the iceberg. Food, water, shelter. If all of that is disrupted, then it’s going to take time to put it back in place. And USAID was that safety net in the past,” said Andy Ingraham, a prominent Fort Lauderdale businessman who serves as president of The Bahamas Diaspora Association and is president and founder of the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers.
A man looks at a fallen tree in St. Catherine, Jamaica, on October 28, 2025, as ferocious winds and torrential rain from Hurricane Melissa tore into Jamaica. RICARDO MAKYN AFP via Getty Images
Miami Democratic U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, who helped secure American assistance after Dorian, told the Miami Herald that with USAID’s dismantling, “there is real uncertainty about whether help will come,” in the aftermath of Melissa.
“I have consistently opposed efforts by the administration to gut USAID. The administration must be ready to fill any gaps and move resources immediately to support Jamaica and other affected nations,” she said. “In Congress, I stand ready to approve the funds required to help them recover.”
Ahead of Melissa’s landfall on the southwestern coast of Jamaica on Tuesday, Caribbean emergency responders said they were awaiting to hear from the U.S. government about what will take the place of USAID.
The storm is the first major natural disaster to hit the region since the Trump administration dismantled USAID earlier this year. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agency’s functions would be absorbed by the State Department.
The Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration was given the responsibility for international disaster relief. But much of the staff in that bureau was later laid off.
The White House referred an inquiry about its plan for hurricane assistance to the State Department.
A spokesperson for the department said there won’t be a decision on aid deployment “until a need is identified.”
“The State Department maintains warehouses around the world from which we can distribute lifesaving aid in the aftermath of natural disasters,” a State Department spokesperson told The Miami Herald. “The department has pre-positioned emergency relief supplies in six warehouses that will allow for the distribution of emergency relief supplies to people affected by the storm.”
Residents evacuate under pouring rain from Playa Siboney to safe locations ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Melissa, in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, on Tuesday. YAMIL LAGE AFP via Getty Images
A former senior official at USAID said that agency would act as a lead and coordinate the U.S. government response during these disasters.
“When you see a storm of this scale, it is so large and so devastating that it really can overwhelm the capacity of the government. Historically, a country like Jamaica has been able to count on U.S. support,” the official said.
Typically, staff at USAID would start hurricane preparations in June, which included meeting with local officials, building networks between Caribbean nations, and conducting exercises with the U.S. military to help with logistical needs.
These systems, which are now very frayed, “helped save lives and reduce the cost of these emergencies.”
Some USAID staff with hurricane response experience were folded into the State Department but, the official added, “they are very buried in bureaucracy and don’t have the partner networks, tools and resources they would have at USAID.”
Other Democrats on Capitol Hill have expressed concern.
Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Joaquin Castro, ranking member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, and Yvette D. Clarke said on Monday, the U.S. “must stand with Jamaica and the entire Caribbean before, during, and after Hurricane Melissa makes landfall.”
A congressional aide later told the Herald/McClatchy newspapers that while it makes sense for the U.S. government to evaluate the need immediately after the hurricane’s landfall, lawmakers have had no information on whether the State Department has pre-positioned any supplies or resources like boats.
“We haven’t been briefed yet by State on the disaster response setup, so we don’t really know the details of how many staff they have available, what kind of advanced planning they’re doing,” the aide said.
One source familiar with the situation said Jamaica has requested support from the United States.
“We understand that State has activated a Disaster Assistance Response team and plans to deploy staff to the Dominican Republic, Bahamas and Jamaica,” the person said. “We do not know whether supplies were pre-positioned or what resources have been made available for the response.”
The Trump administration has been much more selective in deciding what disaster it responds to. In August, for example, the administration sent no aid after an earthquake in Afghanistan.
Amid the questions about the U.S humanitarian response, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations have been touting their readiness to respond, not just in Jamaica but in Haiti — where three people died before Melissa reached hurricane strength — and in Cuba. Melissa was expected to make landfall Tuesday night or Wednesday morning in the eastern part of the island.
Working the phones
Ingraham, who is Bahamian, said he is concerned about the region not being able to rely on USAID in the way countries have been accustomed to. However, he believes the U.S. government will “do something to help in the region as great partners.”
“The fact that they have a lot of assets in the Caribbean now, I’m sure some of those may be directed to help Jamaica, The Bahamas and some of the other islands that have been impacted,” he said, referring to warships the U.S. has deployed to the southern Caribbean to combat narco-trafficking.
Small island nations have neither the infrastructure nor the money to withstand the devastation from a major hurricane, Ingraham said.
“For us in the Caribbean, it’s not a good time. The only salvation that we have, quite frankly, is the private sector,” he added.
On Tuesday, as Melissa tore off rooftops in the Jamaican communities of Westmoreland and Black River, and drenched agriculture farmland under floodwaters, Ingraham began working the phone, asking contacts if they could spare airplanes to begin evacuations from the southern Bahamas. Among them was Fort Lauderdale based Tropic Ocean Airways, which dispatched one of its seaplanes. Other companies helped with fuel, and the Bahamian government removed bureaucratic red tape to get the help to the islands.
“I think we go back to the same old adage,” Ingraham said. “We’ve got to plan for the hurricane instead of reacting to the hurricane. We’ve been down this road…. We understand hurricanes. They’re going to come, they’re going to drop a lot of rain, they’re going to have a lot of wind damage. We just need to plan, if we got to evacuate people, let’s plan in advance. If we need assets, let’s organize those assets so they’ll be ready at a moment’s notice.”
Miami Herald staff writers Antonio María Delgadoand David Goodhue contributed to this report.
This story was originally published October 28, 2025 at 8:42 PM.
Jacqueline Charles has reported on Haiti and the English-speaking Caribbean for the Miami Herald for over a decade. A Pulitzer Prize finalist for her coverage of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, she was awarded a 2018 Maria Moors Cabot Prize — the most prestigious award for coverage of the Americas.
Police in the Bahamas arrested eight Americans and seized weapons, ammunition and a “considerable sum of undeclared cash” in a multiagency operation on Tuesday.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a news release that officers from the Alice Town Police Station worked with the Bahamas Customs Department to search a vessel docked at a port on Bimini, a chain of western islands. The officers were “acting on intelligence,” the RBPF said, but they did not specify what information that included.
The officers found three “high-powered weapons” and 11 other firearms, as well as the undeclared cash and a “substantial quality of ammunition” on the boat, police said.
The 10 occupants aboard the boat — eight Americans, one South African and one Guyanese person — were taken into custody, the RBPF said. Those arrested ranged in age from 21 to 62 years old. The RBPF did not identify them. The weapons, money and ammunition were confiscated.
The investigation remains ongoing, police said. The RBPF did not specify what the goal of the investigation is or if more arrests are expected. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for more details from CBS News.
Bimini is the westernmost part of the Bahamas and the country’s closest point to the mainland United States. Alice Town is the region’s capital.
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed former football star Herschel Walker to serve as U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas.
President Trump nominated Walker for the diplomatic post last year, after the retired running back entered the political fray by running as the Republican nominee in Georgia’s 2022 Senate race. He lost to incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock by 2.8 points in a runoff.
Walker won the Heisman Trophy in 1982 with the University of Georgia Bulldogs, and played professionally for three years for the U.S. Football League’s New Jersey Generals — a team that Mr. Trump bought toward the end of Walker’s career with the upstart league. After the USFL folded, Walker played in the NFL for more than a decade.
He ran for Senate three years ago with Mr. Trump’s backing. Walker’s campaign was dogged by accusations that he paid several women to get abortions in the 1990s and 2000s, despite his opposition to the procedure while on the campaign trail. Walker vehemently denied the allegations.
Walker was also named to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition during Mr. Trump’s first term, but was removed during the Biden administration.
“Herschel has spent decades serving as an Ambassador to our Nation’s youth, our men and women in the Military, and athletes at home and abroad,” Mr. Trump wrote in a December Truth Social post nominating Walker to the ambassador role.
Walker and more than 100 other Trump nominees were confirmed Tuesday in a single 51-47 vote, part of a rules change by Senate Republicans that allows them to approve large groups of executive branch nominees “en bloc” with a simple majority rather than voting on them one by one. They changed the rules amid frustration that Democrats had slowed the nomination process to a crawl — though Democrats accused Republicans of going “nuclear.”
Another high-profile nominee who was approved in Tuesday’s package is former White House aide Sergio Gor for ambassador to India.
The nominees were approved while the Senate remained at an impasse over the government shutdown. The body is expected to weigh competing Democratic and Republican proposals to reopen the government Wednesday — but both bills have been voted down multiple times.
Hurricane Imelda is intensifying as it nears Bermuda on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane, which formed in the Atlantic on Tuesday, has moved away from the Florida coast and is now bringing significant risks to Bermuda. The NHC said it is bringing hurricane-force winds, damaging waves and the risk of flash flooding to Bermuda. According to the 8 p.m. Wednesday advisory, Imelda was moving east-northeast at 24 mph and was located approximately 100 miles west-southwest of Bermuda.On the forecast track, the core of the hurricane will closing in on Bermuda with hazardous winds expected to increase tonight. Hurricane force winds, damaging waves, and flash flooding are expected over Bermuda into early Thursday Maximum sustained winds: 100 mphMinimum central pressure: 971 mbHurricane Imelda is now a Category 2 storm. Imelda is expected to transition into an extratropical low within a few days, followed by a gradual weakening afterward. Watches/warnings A hurricane warning is in effect for Bermuda.Tropical storm warnings have been discontinued along the Florida coast.Surfers hit Cocoa BeachHurricane season 2025The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Stay with WESH 2 online and on air for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.>> More: 2025 Hurricane Survival GuideThe First Warning Weather team includes First Warning Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi, Eric Burris, Kellianne Klass, Marquise Meda and Cam Tran.>> 2025 hurricane season | WESH long-range forecast
Hurricane Imelda is intensifying as it nears Bermuda on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The hurricane, which formed in the Atlantic on Tuesday, has moved away from the Florida coast and is now bringing significant risks to Bermuda.
The NHC said it is bringing hurricane-force winds, damaging waves and the risk of flash flooding to Bermuda.
According to the 8 p.m. Wednesday advisory, Imelda was moving east-northeast at 24 mph and was located approximately 100 miles west-southwest of Bermuda.
On the forecast track, the core of the hurricane will closing in on Bermuda with hazardous winds expected to increase tonight. Hurricane force winds, damaging waves, and flash flooding are expected over Bermuda into early Thursday
Maximum sustained winds: 100 mph
Minimum central pressure: 971 mb
Hurricane Imelda is now a Category 2 storm.
Imelda is expected to transition into an extratropical low within a few days, followed by a gradual weakening afterward.
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Watches/warnings
A hurricane warning is in effect for Bermuda.
Tropical storm warnings have been discontinued along the Florida coast.
Surfers hit Cocoa Beach
Hurricane season 2025
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Stay with WESH 2 online and on air for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.
Authorities in the Bahamas closed most schools on Monday as Tropical Storm Imelda dropped heavy rain in the northern Caribbean, including over Cuba, where two people died as a result of the storm.The storm was located about 120 miles north of Great Abaco Island of the Bahamas, which is still recovering from Hurricane Dorian after it slammed into parts of the Bahamas as a devastating Category 5 hurricane in 2019.Imelda had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and was moving north at 9 mph. It was forecast to become a hurricane on Tuesday morning and spin out to open ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.A tropical storm warning was in effect for parts of the extreme northwestern Bahamas, including Great Abaco, Grand Bahama Island, and the surrounding keys. Power outages were reported in some areas, with authorities closing government offices on affected islands and issuing mandatory evacuation orders for some islands over the weekend.2 deaths and evacuations across CubaCuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero said late Monday that two people died after Imelda impacted eastern Cuba. On his X account, Marrero said the two people died in Santiago de Cuba province, but he didn’t give any details.Earlier, state media reported that 60-year-old Luis Mario Pérez Coiterio had died in Santiago de Cuba following landslides in that area.In Santiago de Cuba, flooding and landslides cut off 17 communities, according to the official newspaper Granma. More than 24,000 people live in those communities.In Guantánamo, another impacted province, more than 18,000 people have been evacuated, according to reports from the state-run Caribe television channel.Imelda was expected to drop 4 to 8 inches of rain across the northwest Bahamas through Tuesday, and 2 to 4 inches across eastern Cuba.Humberto roars in open watersMeanwhile, Hurricane Humberto, a Category 4 storm, churned in open waters nearby, which forecasters said would cause Imelda to abruptly turn to the east-northeast, away from the southeastern United States coast.“This is really what’s going to be saving the United States from really seeing catastrophic rainfall,” said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert for AccuWeather, a private U.S. weather forecasting company.DaSilva said the two storms would draw closer and start rotating counterclockwise around each other in what’s known as the Fujiwhara effect.“It’s a very rare phenomenon overall in the Atlantic basin,” he said.Humberto had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. It was located about 295 miles southwest of Bermuda, moving north-northwest at 13 mph. A hurricane watch was in effect for Bermuda.“This is going to be no threat to the United States,” DaSilva said.The Carolinas brace for Imelda’s rainsMoisture from Imelda was expected to move up the Carolinas, with heavy rain forecast through Tuesday morning. The heaviest rains will be limited to the coastline, from Charleston in South Carolina to Wilmington in North Carolina, while Charlotte and Raleigh might receive only 1 to 2 inches of rain, he said.The Carolinas might see wind gusts of 40 mph, but only along the coastline, DaSilva said, as he warned of dangerous surf and heavy rip currents all week.South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said authorities were prepositioning search and rescue crews over the weekend.In North Carolina, Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency even before Imelda formed, while authorities on Tybee Island off the coast of Georgia handed out free sandbags to residents.Even though Imelda was not making landfall in Florida, its impact was still felt.At the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, crews found a couple of turtle hatchlings that rough surf had tossed ashore.“We actually had two washbacks come in over the weekend,” said Justin Perrault, the center’s vice president of research. “We may get more as the day goes along.”He said typically beachgoers will see a hatchling resting in the seaweed and call the center for help.Farther south in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Carl Alexandre exercised at the beach on Monday. He said he was grateful the storm was not heading toward South Florida, but that he would pray for those in the Bahamas.“It’s great that we’re not having one as of right now,” Alexandre said. “And now we get to run in the Florida sun.”‘A double whammy for Bermuda’Authorities in Bermuda hoped neither of the two storms would be a direct hit later in the week, though they were forecast to, at least, come close, with Imelda possibly passing within 15 miles as the season’s soon-to-be fourth hurricane, Da Silva said.“It’s going to be a double whammy for Bermuda, Humberto first and Imelda following close behind,” Da Silva said.Michael Weeks, Bermuda’s national security minister, urged residents to prepare, warning that there have been “some near misses this season regarding severe storms.”“Hurricane Humberto is a dangerous storm, and with another system developing to our south, every household in Bermuda should take the necessary steps to be prepared,” he said.Flights to and from the islands in the Bahamas were canceled, with airports expected to reopen after weather conditions improve.
Authorities in the Bahamas closed most schools on Monday as Tropical Storm Imelda dropped heavy rain in the northern Caribbean, including over Cuba, where two people died as a result of the storm.
The storm was located about 120 miles north of Great Abaco Island of the Bahamas, which is still recovering from Hurricane Dorian after it slammed into parts of the Bahamas as a devastating Category 5 hurricane in 2019.
Imelda had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and was moving north at 9 mph. It was forecast to become a hurricane on Tuesday morning and spin out to open ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for parts of the extreme northwestern Bahamas, including Great Abaco, Grand Bahama Island, and the surrounding keys. Power outages were reported in some areas, with authorities closing government offices on affected islands and issuing mandatory evacuation orders for some islands over the weekend.
2 deaths and evacuations across Cuba
Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero said late Monday that two people died after Imelda impacted eastern Cuba. On his X account, Marrero said the two people died in Santiago de Cuba province, but he didn’t give any details.
Earlier, state media reported that 60-year-old Luis Mario Pérez Coiterio had died in Santiago de Cuba following landslides in that area.
In Santiago de Cuba, flooding and landslides cut off 17 communities, according to the official newspaper Granma. More than 24,000 people live in those communities.
In Guantánamo, another impacted province, more than 18,000 people have been evacuated, according to reports from the state-run Caribe television channel.
Imelda was expected to drop 4 to 8 inches of rain across the northwest Bahamas through Tuesday, and 2 to 4 inches across eastern Cuba.
Humberto roars in open waters
Meanwhile, Hurricane Humberto, a Category 4 storm, churned in open waters nearby, which forecasters said would cause Imelda to abruptly turn to the east-northeast, away from the southeastern United States coast.
“This is really what’s going to be saving the United States from really seeing catastrophic rainfall,” said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert for AccuWeather, a private U.S. weather forecasting company.
DaSilva said the two storms would draw closer and start rotating counterclockwise around each other in what’s known as the Fujiwhara effect.
“It’s a very rare phenomenon overall in the Atlantic basin,” he said.
Humberto had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. It was located about 295 miles southwest of Bermuda, moving north-northwest at 13 mph. A hurricane watch was in effect for Bermuda.
“This is going to be no threat to the United States,” DaSilva said.
The Carolinas brace for Imelda’s rains
Moisture from Imelda was expected to move up the Carolinas, with heavy rain forecast through Tuesday morning. The heaviest rains will be limited to the coastline, from Charleston in South Carolina to Wilmington in North Carolina, while Charlotte and Raleigh might receive only 1 to 2 inches of rain, he said.
The Carolinas might see wind gusts of 40 mph, but only along the coastline, DaSilva said, as he warned of dangerous surf and heavy rip currents all week.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said authorities were prepositioning search and rescue crews over the weekend.
In North Carolina, Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency even before Imelda formed, while authorities on Tybee Island off the coast of Georgia handed out free sandbags to residents.
Even though Imelda was not making landfall in Florida, its impact was still felt.
At the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, crews found a couple of turtle hatchlings that rough surf had tossed ashore.
“We actually had two washbacks come in over the weekend,” said Justin Perrault, the center’s vice president of research. “We may get more as the day goes along.”
He said typically beachgoers will see a hatchling resting in the seaweed and call the center for help.
Farther south in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Carl Alexandre exercised at the beach on Monday. He said he was grateful the storm was not heading toward South Florida, but that he would pray for those in the Bahamas.
“It’s great that we’re not having one as of right now,” Alexandre said. “And now we get to run in the Florida sun.”
‘A double whammy for Bermuda’
Authorities in Bermuda hoped neither of the two storms would be a direct hit later in the week, though they were forecast to, at least, come close, with Imelda possibly passing within 15 miles as the season’s soon-to-be fourth hurricane, Da Silva said.
“It’s going to be a double whammy for Bermuda, Humberto first and Imelda following close behind,” Da Silva said.
Michael Weeks, Bermuda’s national security minister, urged residents to prepare, warning that there have been “some near misses this season regarding severe storms.”
“Hurricane Humberto is a dangerous storm, and with another system developing to our south, every household in Bermuda should take the necessary steps to be prepared,” he said.
Flights to and from the islands in the Bahamas were canceled, with airports expected to reopen after weather conditions improve.
Authorities in the Bahamas closed a majority of schools on Monday following mandatory evacuations for some islands in the archipelago as Tropical Storm Imelda was expected to drop heavy rain in the northern Caribbean, with landslides killing one man in Cuba.The storm was located about 35 miles north of Great Abaco Island, which is still recovering from Hurricane Dorian after it slammed into parts of the Bahamas as a devastating Category 5 hurricane in 2019.Imelda had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and was moving north at 9 mph. It was forecast to become a hurricane on Tuesday and spin out to open ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.A tropical storm warning was in effect for parts of the northwestern Bahamas, including Eleuthera, the Abacos, Grand Bahama Island and the surrounding keys. Power outages were reported in some areas, with authorities closing government offices on affected islands.A death and evacuations across CubaImelda was expected to drop 4 to 8 inches of rain across the northwest Bahamas through Tuesday, and 2 to 4 inches across eastern Cuba. State media in Cuba reported that 60-year-old Luis Mario Pérez Coiterio died in Santiago de Cuba following landslides in that area.“After two days of intense rains in the municipality of Santiago de Cuba, we are now in the stage of saving human lives and the economy of the entire city,” Mayor Indira Oliva Bueno said, according to a broadcast aired by the official Caribe channel.In the easternmost part of Cuba, from Camagüey to Guantánamo, authorities supplied food and drinking water to residents, according to official TV reports.Overall, Imelda forced the evacuation of some 1,291 people across Cuba, with 158 of them staying in shelters.“We are working with our agricultural colleagues to provide food to the population, which is essential,” said Alexander Olivares, president of the San Antonio del Sur Defense Council in Guantánamo.Humberto roars in open watersMeanwhile, Hurricane Humberto, a Category 4 storm, churned in open waters nearby, which forecasters said would cause Imelda to abruptly turn to the east-northeast, away from the southeastern United States coast.“This is really what’s going to be saving the United States from really seeing catastrophic rainfall,” said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert for AccuWeather, a private U.S. weather forecasting company.When two storms circle near each other, they create what’s known as the Fujiwhara effect, which means that they start to rotate counterclockwise around each other, DaSilva said.“It’s a very rare phenomenon overall in the Atlantic basin,” he said.Humberto had maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. It was located about 340 miles south-southwest of Bermuda, moving northwest at 13 mph. A tropical storm watch was in effect for Bermuda.“This is going to be no threat to the United States,” DaSilva said.The Carolinas brace for Imelda’s rainsHowever, moisture from Imelda was expected to move up the Carolinas, with heavy rain forecast through Tuesday morning. The heaviest rains will be limited to the coastline, from Charleston in South Carolina to Wilmington in North Carolina, while Charlotte and Raleigh might receive only 1 to 2 inches of rain, he said.The Carolinas might see wind gusts of 40 mph, but only along the coastline, DaSilva said, as he warned of dangerous surf and heavy rip currents all week.South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said authorities were prepositioning search and rescue crews over the weekend.In North Carolina, Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency even before Imelda formed, while authorities on Tybee Island off the coast of Georgia handed out free sandbags to residents.Further south in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Carl Alexandre exercised at the beach on Monday. He said he was grateful the storm was not heading toward South Florida, but that he would pray for those in the Bahamas.“It’s great that we’re not having one as of right now,” Alexandre said. “And now we get to run in the Florida sun.”Mick Varley, who was visiting Fort Lauderdale from London, said he’s delighted the storm will remain offshore.“I’m very happy it’s not going to disrupt our plans,” he said.‘A double whammy for Bermuda’As Tropical Storm Imelda and Hurricane Humberto swirled in open waters, authorities in Bermuda prepared for two near misses.“It’s going to be a double whammy for Bermuda, Humberto first and Imelda following close behind,” Da Silva said.He said Imelda could pass within 15 miles of Bermuda as the Atlantic season’s soon-to-be fourth named hurricane. Meanwhile, the center of Humberto is expected to pass west and then north of Bermuda on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.Michael Weeks, Bermuda’s national security minister, urged residents to prepare, warning that there have been “some near misses this season regarding severe storms.”“Hurricane Humberto is a dangerous storm, and with another system developing to our south, every household in Bermuda should take the necessary steps to be prepared,” he said.Flights to and from the islands in the Bahamas were canceled, with airports expected to reopen after weather conditions improve.
Authorities in the Bahamas closed a majority of schools on Monday following mandatory evacuations for some islands in the archipelago as Tropical Storm Imelda was expected to drop heavy rain in the northern Caribbean, with landslides killing one man in Cuba.
The storm was located about 35 miles north of Great Abaco Island, which is still recovering from Hurricane Dorian after it slammed into parts of the Bahamas as a devastating Category 5 hurricane in 2019.
Imelda had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and was moving north at 9 mph. It was forecast to become a hurricane on Tuesday and spin out to open ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for parts of the northwestern Bahamas, including Eleuthera, the Abacos, Grand Bahama Island and the surrounding keys. Power outages were reported in some areas, with authorities closing government offices on affected islands.
A death and evacuations across Cuba
Imelda was expected to drop 4 to 8 inches of rain across the northwest Bahamas through Tuesday, and 2 to 4 inches across eastern Cuba. State media in Cuba reported that 60-year-old Luis Mario Pérez Coiterio died in Santiago de Cuba following landslides in that area.
“After two days of intense rains in the municipality of Santiago de Cuba, we are now in the stage of saving human lives and the economy of the entire city,” Mayor Indira Oliva Bueno said, according to a broadcast aired by the official Caribe channel.
In the easternmost part of Cuba, from Camagüey to Guantánamo, authorities supplied food and drinking water to residents, according to official TV reports.
Overall, Imelda forced the evacuation of some 1,291 people across Cuba, with 158 of them staying in shelters.
“We are working with our agricultural colleagues to provide food to the population, which is essential,” said Alexander Olivares, president of the San Antonio del Sur Defense Council in Guantánamo.
Humberto roars in open waters
Meanwhile, Hurricane Humberto, a Category 4 storm, churned in open waters nearby, which forecasters said would cause Imelda to abruptly turn to the east-northeast, away from the southeastern United States coast.
“This is really what’s going to be saving the United States from really seeing catastrophic rainfall,” said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert for AccuWeather, a private U.S. weather forecasting company.
When two storms circle near each other, they create what’s known as the Fujiwhara effect, which means that they start to rotate counterclockwise around each other, DaSilva said.
“It’s a very rare phenomenon overall in the Atlantic basin,” he said.
Humberto had maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. It was located about 340 miles south-southwest of Bermuda, moving northwest at 13 mph. A tropical storm watch was in effect for Bermuda.
“This is going to be no threat to the United States,” DaSilva said.
The Carolinas brace for Imelda’s rains
However, moisture from Imelda was expected to move up the Carolinas, with heavy rain forecast through Tuesday morning. The heaviest rains will be limited to the coastline, from Charleston in South Carolina to Wilmington in North Carolina, while Charlotte and Raleigh might receive only 1 to 2 inches of rain, he said.
The Carolinas might see wind gusts of 40 mph, but only along the coastline, DaSilva said, as he warned of dangerous surf and heavy rip currents all week.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said authorities were prepositioning search and rescue crews over the weekend.
In North Carolina, Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency even before Imelda formed, while authorities on Tybee Island off the coast of Georgia handed out free sandbags to residents.
Further south in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Carl Alexandre exercised at the beach on Monday. He said he was grateful the storm was not heading toward South Florida, but that he would pray for those in the Bahamas.
“It’s great that we’re not having one as of right now,” Alexandre said. “And now we get to run in the Florida sun.”
Mick Varley, who was visiting Fort Lauderdale from London, said he’s delighted the storm will remain offshore.
“I’m very happy it’s not going to disrupt our plans,” he said.
‘A double whammy for Bermuda’
As Tropical Storm Imelda and Hurricane Humberto swirled in open waters, authorities in Bermuda prepared for two near misses.
“It’s going to be a double whammy for Bermuda, Humberto first and Imelda following close behind,” Da Silva said.
He said Imelda could pass within 15 miles of Bermuda as the Atlantic season’s soon-to-be fourth named hurricane. Meanwhile, the center of Humberto is expected to pass west and then north of Bermuda on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Michael Weeks, Bermuda’s national security minister, urged residents to prepare, warning that there have been “some near misses this season regarding severe storms.”
“Hurricane Humberto is a dangerous storm, and with another system developing to our south, every household in Bermuda should take the necessary steps to be prepared,” he said.
Flights to and from the islands in the Bahamas were canceled, with airports expected to reopen after weather conditions improve.
Humberto roared to a major Category 3 hurricane on Friday and was expected to gain even more strength over the next couple of days.The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Hurricane Humberto had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. It was centered about 430 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands.Humberto could produce life-threatening surf and rip currents for the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Bermuda over the weekend, forecasters said. Meanwhile, the center of Gabrielle, now a post-tropical cyclone, moved away from the Azores, and the hurricane warning for the entire Portuguese archipelago was discontinued by the Azores Meteorological Service. On Friday afternoon, the storm was about 245 miles east-northeast of Lajes Air Base in the Azores.Maximum sustained winds were near 65 mph with higher gusts. One observatory reported sustained winds of 78 mph, which would be hurricane-level.Some strengthening was forecast through Friday night, with weakening expected over the weekend, and Gabrielle was expected to approach the Portugal’s coast by early Sunday. Swells expected to produce life-threatening surf and rip currents were expected to reach Portugal, northwestern Spain and northern Morocco on Saturday.In the Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Narda was churning about 880 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California and heading west-northwest at 15 mph. The Category 1 storm was expected to maintain its strength on Friday before weakening over the weekend.Swells generated by Narda were affecting southwestern and west central Mexico and Baja California Sur, forecasters said. The swells that could bring life-threatening surf and rip current conditions were expected to reach southern California over the weekend.
Humberto roared to a major Category 3 hurricane on Friday and was expected to gain even more strength over the next couple of days.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Hurricane Humberto had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. It was centered about 430 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands.
Humberto could produce life-threatening surf and rip currents for the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Bermuda over the weekend, forecasters said.
Meanwhile, the center of Gabrielle, now a post-tropical cyclone, moved away from the Azores, and the hurricane warning for the entire Portuguese archipelago was discontinued by the Azores Meteorological Service. On Friday afternoon, the storm was about 245 miles east-northeast of Lajes Air Base in the Azores.
Maximum sustained winds were near 65 mph with higher gusts. One observatory reported sustained winds of 78 mph, which would be hurricane-level.
Some strengthening was forecast through Friday night, with weakening expected over the weekend, and Gabrielle was expected to approach the Portugal’s coast by early Sunday. Swells expected to produce life-threatening surf and rip currents were expected to reach Portugal, northwestern Spain and northern Morocco on Saturday.
In the Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Narda was churning about 880 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California and heading west-northwest at 15 mph. The Category 1 storm was expected to maintain its strength on Friday before weakening over the weekend.
Swells generated by Narda were affecting southwestern and west central Mexico and Baja California Sur, forecasters said. The swells that could bring life-threatening surf and rip current conditions were expected to reach southern California over the weekend.
The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a large tropical wave in the Atlantic. Invest 94-L is producing disorganized showers, thunderstorms and gusty winds for most of the Windward and Leeward Islands. This wave is forecast to move west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph. Heavy rainfall and gusty winds are expected in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands tonight and on Wednesday, according to NHC. The system is expected to slow down and shift northwest when it arrives in the southwestern Atlantic near the Bahamas later this week.A tropical depression could develop in that area. The NHC advised that the following regions should keep an eye on the system: the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Bahamas. Formation chance through the next 48 hours: 30%Formation chance through the next 7 days: 70%Hurricane season 2025The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Stay with WESH 2 online and on air for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.>> More: 2025 Hurricane Survival GuideThe First Warning Weather team includes First Warning Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi, Eric Burris, Kellianne Klass, Marquise Meda and Cam Tran.>> 2025 hurricane season | WESH long-range forecast
The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a large tropical wave in the Atlantic.
Invest 94-L is producing disorganized showers, thunderstorms and gusty winds for most of the Windward and Leeward Islands.
This wave is forecast to move west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph.
Heavy rainfall and gusty winds are expected in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands tonight and on Wednesday, according to NHC.
The system is expected to slow down and shift northwest when it arrives in the southwestern Atlantic near the Bahamas later this week.
A tropical depression could develop in that area.
The NHC advised that the following regions should keep an eye on the system: the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Bahamas.
Formation chance through the next 48 hours: 30%
Formation chance through the next 7 days: 70%
Hurricane season 2025
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Stay with WESH 2 online and on air for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.
Tropical Storm Oscar brought heavy rains and winds to Cuba, an island already beleaguered by a massive power outage, late Sunday after brushing the Bahamas.It made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) in the eastern Cuban province of Guantanamo, near the city of Baracoa, on Sunday evening. Oscar had weakened to a tropical storm with 70 mph (110 kph) winds by late Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.Related video above: Hurricane Oscar strengthens in the Greater Antilles, while Tropical Storm Nadine makes landfall in BelizeThe storm was 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of Guantanamo, moving west-northwest at 6 mph (10 kph).Thunderstorms and rain, along with moderate flooding in low-lying areas, were reported in the country’s eastern provinces. Cuban media said 2-meter (6.5-feet) swells were hitting the coast and roofs and walls in Baracoa had been damaged. Authorities have set up 20 centers for evacuees.The system is expected to move across eastern Cuba on Sunday night and Monday. Forecasters said 6 to 12 inches (15 to 31 centimeters) of rain are expected across eastern Cuba through early Wednesday, with some isolated locations getting up to 18 inches (46 centimeters). A storm surge of up to 3 feet (almost 1 meter) in some areas of Cuba’s north shore in the area was possible, the center said.Oscar was expected to weaken over eastern Cuba before making a turn to the northeast and approaching the central Bahamas on Tuesday, the center said.Oscar made landfall on Great Inagua island in the Bahamas earlier Sunday. A storm surge that could cause coastal flooding was forecast, along with heavy rain.The hurricane’s arrival comes as Cuba tries to recover from its worst blackout in at least two years, which left millions without power for two days last week. Some electrical service was restored Saturday.Philippe Papin of the National Hurricane Center said it was somewhat unexpected that Oscar became a hurricane Saturday.“Unfortunately, the system kind of snuck up a little bit on us,” Papin said.Hours earlier, Tropical Storm Nadine formed off Mexico’s southern Caribbean coast. It degenerated into a tropical depression as it moved over land.
MIAMI —
Tropical Storm Oscar brought heavy rains and winds to Cuba, an island already beleaguered by a massive power outage, late Sunday after brushing the Bahamas.
It made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) in the eastern Cuban province of Guantanamo, near the city of Baracoa, on Sunday evening. Oscar had weakened to a tropical storm with 70 mph (110 kph) winds by late Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
Related video above: Hurricane Oscar strengthens in the Greater Antilles, while Tropical Storm Nadine makes landfall in Belize
The storm was 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of Guantanamo, moving west-northwest at 6 mph (10 kph).
Thunderstorms and rain, along with moderate flooding in low-lying areas, were reported in the country’s eastern provinces. Cuban media said 2-meter (6.5-feet) swells were hitting the coast and roofs and walls in Baracoa had been damaged. Authorities have set up 20 centers for evacuees.
The system is expected to move across eastern Cuba on Sunday night and Monday. Forecasters said 6 to 12 inches (15 to 31 centimeters) of rain are expected across eastern Cuba through early Wednesday, with some isolated locations getting up to 18 inches (46 centimeters). A storm surge of up to 3 feet (almost 1 meter) in some areas of Cuba’s north shore in the area was possible, the center said.
Oscar was expected to weaken over eastern Cuba before making a turn to the northeast and approaching the central Bahamas on Tuesday, the center said.
Oscar made landfall on Great Inagua island in the Bahamas earlier Sunday. A storm surge that could cause coastal flooding was forecast, along with heavy rain.
The hurricane’s arrival comes as Cuba tries to recover from its worst blackout in at least two years, which left millions without power for two days last week. Some electrical service was restored Saturday.
Philippe Papin of the National Hurricane Center said it was somewhat unexpected that Oscar became a hurricane Saturday.
“Unfortunately, the system kind of snuck up a little bit on us,” Papin said.
Hours earlier, Tropical Storm Nadine formed off Mexico’s southern Caribbean coast. It degenerated into a tropical depression as it moved over land.
MIAMI — Hurricane Oscar formed Saturday off the coast of the Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. It characterized the storm as “tiny.”
The government of the Bahamas has issued a hurricane warning for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas. The government of Cuba has issued a hurricane watch for the provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas.
The storm’s maximum sustained winds were clocked at 80 mph (130 kph) with higher gusts. Its center was located about 165 miles (260 kilometers) east-southeast of the southeastern Bahamas and about 470 miles (755 kilometers) east of Camaguey, Cuba.
Hours earlier, Tropical Storm Nadine formed off Mexico’s southern Caribbean coast and was moving inland across Belize. Heavy rain and tropical storm conditions were occurring over parts of Belize and the Yucatan peninsula.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for Belize City and from Belize to Cancun, Mexico, including Cozumel.
The hurricane center said Nadine was located about 20 miles (35 kilometers) east of Belize City, with winds of 13 mph (20 kph). Its maximum sustained winds were at 50 mph (85 kph).
Nadine was expected to move across Belize, northern Guatemala, and southern Mexico through Sunday, the center added.
A U.N. mission of foreign law enforcement led by Kenya is arriving in Haiti to try to curb the ongoing surge in gang violence there. Once all personnel arrive, there will be 2,500 police and soldiers from multiple countries including the Bahamas, Bangladesh and Jamaica. Eyder Peralta, an international correspondent for NPR, joined CBS News to discuss the situation in Haiti.
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Despite how terrifying sharks might seem, the creatures are critical to the survival of the world’s oceans. Oceans generate 50% of the oxygen on the planet and absorb 90% of excess heat created by global warming. CBS News senior national and environmental correspondent Ben Tracy spoke with conservationists in the Bahamas.
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Vast oceans cover 70% of our planet’s surface, playing a crucial role in human survival by providing food and oxygen and acting as a buffer against climate change. Despite their importance, oceans are increasingly threatened by global warming and human activity, with rising temperatures impacting fragile marine ecosystems.
More than 100 nations, including the United States, have agreed to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, through an initiative known as “30 by 30.” This goal involves establishing Marine Protected Areas, or MPAs, where human activities are limited or prohibited to preserve marine life.
In the Bahamas, all waters are considered a shark sanctuary. On top of that, the island nation has also designated many Marine Protected Areas, all thought to be aiding the recovery of shark populations, which are critical to coral reef health.
Many of these areas are part of an ongoing global shark census called FinPrint. In 2018, that study revealed a 63% decline in the five main species of reef sharks, with overfishing and the shark meat industry partly to blame.
Candace Fields works with FinPrint and is using innovative technology to collect new data to see if these protected areas help reef shark populations rebound.
“These MPAs might be the way to kind of help these sharks come back from the brink a little bit,” she said.
There are more than 18,000 MPAs covering about 8% of the ocean’s surface, according to United Nations data. However, conservation groups claim most are just lines on a map because about two-thirds of them have little to no enforcement.
The Bahamas has strictly enforced no-fishing zones and actively patrols its waters with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force. During the patrols, officials ensure compliance with local laws, deterring illegal fishing activities, especially from foreign vessels. Their rigorous approach is supported by advanced technology, including artificial intelligence and vessel tracking.
“We are there 24/7 and if you come we’re gonna catch you,” said Senior Commander William Sturrup, who oversees many of the operations.
“We are there on the front lines as a military. That’s how important it is to our government to protect our marine resources,” he said.
Technology plays a significant role in these efforts, according to Gregg Casad of WildAid, who illustrated the advanced tools used to monitor and protect the ocean.
“This is a big chunk of ocean, right? So we’re using this technology to help focus those patrol efforts,” said Casad.
As the world grapples with the warming climate, oceans play a critical role in regulating Earth’s temperature by absorbing 90% of the excess heat generated by climate change. Their protection is not only essential for marine biodiversity, but also for mitigating broader environmental impacts.
“There’s just tons and tons of reasons that we should work towards keeping the oceans as healthy as possible,” said Fields.
Ben Tracy is CBS News’ senior national and environmental correspondent based in Los Angeles. He reports for all CBS News platforms, including the “CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell,” “CBS Mornings” and “CBS Sunday Morning.”
CBS News climate producer Chris Spinder swam with sharks for a “CBS Mornings” story about protecting vulnerable populations of the apex predators. In this producer’s notebook, he shares his experience.
I wasn’t overly concerned about jumping into the brilliant blue waters of the Bahamas — even though I knew full well reef sharks were circling the sea floor about 50 feet beneath my legs.
The CBS News team was in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, shooting a story about how Marine Protected Areas — federally designated places where human activity is managed to protect marine ecosystems — are helping endangered shark populations recover.
I needed to get shots of the shark researchers we were profiling from a water-level point-of-view, and heading into the water was a calculated risk I was prepared to take — especially because I assumed the sharks would be more interested in the camera contraption scientist Candace Fields had just deployed as part of her work.
CBS News climate producer Chris Spinder gets into the water with sharks in the Bahamas.
CBS News
Populations of reef sharks, which are important to the health of coral reefs, have declined precipitously around the world in recent years. Caribbean reef sharks can grow to more than 9 feet long, but aren’t considered aggressive.
I got the shots we needed and climbed out of the water, only to discover that a 2-inch gash on my ankle, likely caused by one of the propellers on the boat’s outboard engine, was dribbling dark red blood down onto the deck.
It wasn’t a lot of blood, certainly nothing serious I hadn’t dealt with before, and I quickly dabbed it away and got back to work. But then, an ominous realization washed over me: Sharks plus blood in the water equals not good news.
Almost immediately, all of my false bravado about swimming with sharks disappeared and I turned to Fields with a look of slight panic. Did I just escape an almost-certain shark attack brought on by a 450-million-year-old uncontrollable feeding frenzy instinct?
“No, you’re fine,” Fields reassured me.
Turns out, the assumption that human blood attracts sharks is one of the many misconceptions that have conspired to give the apex predator of the seas an unfairly bad rap.
“Of course they have the capacity to smell your blood, but that tiny drop of blood isn’t going to create any real scent,” she said.
As I considered objecting to her characterization — it was more than “a tiny drop” of my blood — she calmly informed me that sharks crave fish blood, not human blood. I had never heard that, in more than a decade of producing stories about these fearsome yet misunderstood animals.
“Think of it like this,” Fields said, “you can smell both rotting garbage and a freshly baked tray of cookies. But you don’t really want to go check out the garbage, while you definitely will check out the cookies.”
Reeling a bit from being compared to rotting garbage, I asked for some proof on the subject.
A few years ago, she said, researchers in the Bahamas ran an experiment where they put human blood in the water with a bunch of sharks — and the sharks didn’t really have a significant reaction. But when the researchers put fish blood in the water, those same sharks went crazy. You can see that video below:
“So it’s just showing they’re not really driven toward the smell of human blood, at least not the way that people think,” she said. “You know, like if they have a little cut, it’s going to be the end of the world.”
And just like that, my chance to gloat, to revel in risking life and limb for the sake of journalism, had dissolved like tiny drops in a big blue ocean.
During the depths of the pandemic, Florida’s cruise industry was arguably impacted more severely than any other aspect of our tourism-focused economy. The Italian family-owned shipping container company Mediterranean Shipping Co. S.A. used that crisis as an opportunity, leveraging market share for its fast-growing leisure line within our lucrative market.
Back in late 2021, when COVID tests and face masks were still a thing in Central Florida, MSC invited me for a short sailing aboard the MSC Divina. I returned safely from that first trip impressed by their product’s potential as a value-priced alternative to Disney and Royal Caribbean, if only they could iron out some irritations.
Over the two-plus years since then, I’ve paid out of pocket for an additional pair of trips on the newer MSC Meraviglia, with mixed-to-marvelous results. In the meantime, MSC’s competitors have bounced back with a vengeance, introducing massive new mega-ships that are essentially floating theme parks; travel agents will tell you that staterooms on Disney’s upcoming Treasure are hotter tickets than any Walt Disney World hotel right now. So when I was invited to experience a four-night Valentine’s Day voyage aboard the MSC Seashore out of nearby Port Canaveral, I was curious to see how one of their latest vessels compares in this increasing crowded ocean.
The strict health precautions that formed first impressions on my first MSC sailing are obviously all long gone. However, MSC’s opulent yet not overbearing design aesthetic has been largely consistent across all three ships I’ve visited, with Divina’s old-Hollywood elegance and Meraviglia’s EPCOT influence leading up to Seashore’s Manhattan-via-Las Vegas vibe. Although it’s longer and has a larger passenger capacity, this Seashore EVO-class design is somewhat of a lateral shift from its Vista Project predecessor. For example, the Seashore multistory atrium — with massive video walls framed by Swarovski-studded staircases and panoramic elevators — is a sight to behold, but I didn’t feel it made as effective an activity hub or navigational thoroughfare as Meraviglia’s LED-domed promenade.
Speaking of floating theme parks, Seashore sports a Lego-branded kids club, a video arcade with a VR rafting simulator, and a pirate-themed splash pad with a few water slides and rope bridges. But it has nothing to match Meraviglia’s invigorating climbing trail, or its sister ship Seascape’s Robotron thrill ride, much less rival the roller coasters and full-scale water parks found aboard other lines.
Likewise, in lieu of Broadway-quality mainstage shows, or even the classical opera I enjoyed on my earlier MSC sailings, Seashore’s plotless song-and-dance revues feature talented performers gamely executing eyebrow-raising material; doubling down on Divina’s Caucasian Tina Turner impersonator, there’s an entire Black divas tribute mostly starring white women. Excellent live musicians enliven every lounge, and I enjoyed the Cabaret Rouge rotating variety acts, but I missed Meraviglia’s Cirque-style Carousel productions.
On the other hand, for adults who crave what MSC does best — dining, drinking and decompression — the Seashore can frequently shine, especially if you are staying in Yacht Club, MSC’s elevated “ship within a ship” section. An oasis of exceptional service, it includes access to an exclusive restaurant and pool deck, along with butler service and bottomless beverages. While food in the main dining room and buffet is unmemorable (stick with the fresh pizza and pastas), it’s good enough in Yacht Club that you don’t need to visit the specialty restaurants. Even so, it’s worth springing for Kaito teppanyaki, whose egg-tossing chefs outdo Kobe’s in showmanship.
More importantly, Yacht Club’s friendly, attentive staff cheerfully counterbalances the ship’s frequent inefficiencies, solving snafus and serving as human Lightning Lanes around any lines. We pissed off queuing passengers we passed by, but it’s well worth the upcharge for ease of embarkation and exit alone. The only thing Yacht Club couldn’t cure was the “smart” elevators, which were seemingly controlled by an evil AI intent on never arriving at my destination.
MSC’s Yacht Club is so cozy I was tempted to never leave its confines, with a couple of exceptions. Ocean Cay, the private island that I raved about last time, remains just as pristine, and the opportunity to stay there overnight on select sailings is still the best reason to sail MSC in any class. I also disembarked in Nassau, where friends from the Bahamas ministry of tourism introduced me to some eye-opening cultural treasures that lie only a short walk from the newly redeveloped cruise port and popular shopping district.
Roberta Garzaroli showed me her family’s Graycliff Hotel (graycliff.com), a former pirate’s mansion turned 5-star restaurant with onsite chocolate and cigar factories, and a labyrinthine 250,000-bottle wine cellar bested in the Western Hemisphere only by Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa. And Arlene Nash Ferguson welcomed us into her former childhood home, which is now the interactive Educulture Junkanoo Museum, celebrating the Afro-Caribbean festival of elaborate handmade paper costumes. Although Nassau has received bad press recently, I sailed away impressed by a port I’d previously only associated with straw markets and tourist bars.
This time next year, MSC will launch their massive World America from Florida, going head-to-head with supersized ships like Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas. Until then, they need to continue adapting to the American market by improving English-language communications and adding a broader variety of daily activities. But as they do so, I’m hoping they don’t discard the intimacy and Eurocentric eccentricities that made MSC so appealing in the first place.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce spared no expense when it came to their super luxurious Bahamas trip!
The power couple went to Harbor Island for a few days last week to enjoy some fun in the sun! If you somehow missed the pics…
Taylor Swift shows off her incredibly toned physique in TINY yellow bikini as she shares passionate kiss with Travis Kelce during romantic Bahamas getaway https://t.co/tyi3i9UbmZ
When they weren’t packing on MAJOR PDA, they were nestled together in a super fancy vacation rental called the Rosalita House. In case that name sounds familiar, Kylie Jenner and her besties group chilled there back in 2020, so it’s already a celeb hotspot as well as a 5-star stay. But that don’t come cheap!
The Rosalita House is $18,000 per NIGHT, and features six bedrooms and eight bathrooms. Guests are right along the beach in the city of Eleuthera, and can practically touch the aqua waters from the back patio of the home. The villa is an absolute perfect spot for people that want a private getaway — so it was an amazing choice for the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and his lady.
The sprawling home features a private pool, blossoming gardens, and a fitness center, not to mention professional staff such as a chef, three butlers, three housekeepers, three garden and beach maintenance employees, and a security guard to make sure the entire stay goes as planned. The home is covered in the finest beach décor, while five bedrooms lay in the floor plan of the main home (the extra bedroom is out in the guest house). The master bedroom and the guest home suite even have their own private terraces for relaxing, while the other rooms have direct access to the gorgeous gardens!
The entire place is covered with lush, flowering plants, which provide a beautiful nature scene as well as LOTS of privacy. And in case you want to know about the main bedroom — the one where Tay and Trav probably stayed — it’s got a canopy bed, an outdoor shower, and TWO separate bathrooms, his and hers. Wow!
And don’t worry about boredom, either, because it all comes with a shuffleboard table, checkerboard, backgammon table, and pool bar, as well as a private boat and captain that can bring guests on excursions off the coast of the private pink sand beach.
Ch-ch-check out some pics of the home (below).
(c) Courtesy of Airbnb/MEGA/WENN(c) Courtesy of Airbnb/MEGA/WENN(c) Courtesy of Airbnb/MEGA/WENN(c) Courtesy of Airbnb/MEGA/WENN(c) Courtesy of Airbnb/MEGA/WENN(c) Courtesy of Airbnb/MEGA/WENN
AH-Mazing!! So luxurious!
What do U think about their trip and amenities, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF in the comments (below).
Editor’s Note: Lindsay Shiver of Thomasville, Georgia, pleaded not guilty on Friday, Dec. 8, to killing her estranged husband in a Bahamian court during her formal arraignment.
CNN
—
American Lindsay Shiver, accused of conspiring to kill her husband with two co-defendants in the Bahamas, was granted bail of $100,000 by a Bahamian Supreme Court justice on Wednesday.
She will be outfitted with an electronic monitoring device and must comply with an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. As Shiver walked into court wearing ripped jeans and a T-shirt, spectators yelled questions but it did not appear she replied to anyone.
Shiver must report to the Cable Beach Police Station in Nassau three times per week. She must also not come within 100 feet of her husband, as part of her bail conditions.
When Bahamian Supreme Court Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson finished laying out the conditions of Shiver’s bail, Shiver responded with a soft “OK.” After Shiver picks up her electronic monitoring device, she will be allowed to go to her new residence without returning to jail, her attorney Ian Cargill told CNN on Wednesday.
Shiver’s alleged co-conspirators, Terrance Adrian Bethel, 28, and Farron Newbold Jr., 29, had previously been released on $20,000 bail, Cargill told CNN on Friday.
Shiver, 36, of Thomasville, Georgia, is accused of unsuccessfully conspiring with the two Bahamas natives to kill her husband, Robert Shiver, on July 16 while on the Abaco Islands, months after the couple filed for divorce.
Police in the Bahamas successfully foiled the plot by acting on information found on a phone recovered during a separate criminal inquiry into a recent break-in at a local business, a Bahamian police source told CNN.
The defendants were arraigned last month, according to court documents. They were not required to enter pleas at that hearing.
Lindsay and Robert Shiver had filed for divorce in April, court records indicate.
Robert Shiver filed for divorce on April 5, and Lindsay Shiver filed for divorce the following day, according to the complaint listed on the Thomas County, Georgia, Clerk of Courts website.
Robert Shiver lists Lindsay’s “adulterous conduct” as a reason for divorce, saying the marriage is irrevocably broken, according to the filings viewed by CNN. The filing from Lindsay Shiver says she has “incurred debt beyond her means to pay,” and asks that her husband be made to pay.
Robert Shiver is an insurance executive and former Auburn University football player, court records and his company’s website show. Lindsay Shiver also attended Auburn University, according to social media posts.
Lindsay Shiver’s next court appearance is slated for October 5.
CNN has reached out to attorneys representing each of them in the divorce case.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly spelled the name of Bahamian Supreme Court Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson.
A Bostom woman was killed in a shark attack near a Sandals resort on Nassau, Bahamas. She and a male relative were paddle boarding when she was attacked. Elaine Quijano reports.
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