Travel briefs: Cruise operator plans refund
Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise operator, plans to give $40 million in refunds to customers nationwide who were assessed a fuel surcharge after they booked their trips.
It's the second cruise company to reach an agreement with the Florida Attorney General's Office, which received more than 300 complaints about fees added by several cruise operators last fall. Customers said the charge was tacked on after they made their reservation.
The Carnival settlement affects more than 1.1 million bookings, but the precise number of people affected was not available.
Carnival said it will contact customers who booked trips before the fuel surcharge was announced on Nov. 7.
A magazine for animal lovers is honoring New York, Continental Airlines, a hotel in Austin, Texas, and a resort in Arizona with pet travel awards.
The Big Apple was selected as the pet-friendliest destination of 2008 by Animal Fair, a lifestyle magazine for pet owners. It's one of the seven winners of this year's Cesar Five Dog Bone Awards, voted on by readers. In the city, visitors and their pets can enjoy ''pampering at the many hound-hospitable hotels'' and "dining at canine-cuisine restaurants,'' the magazine said.
Other winners:
Airline: Continental Airlines, whose PetSafe program allows animals too large for the passenger cabin to travel as cargo instead of baggage, ensuring their comfort and safety.
Hotel: The Driskill Hotel, in Austin, Texas, which offers comfy pet beds, gourmet pet treats and chew toys.
Product: Sherpa pet carriers, considered stylish and functional.
Resort: Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, in Scottsdale, Ariz.
A museum exhibit in the city of angels is looking at the legends of saints. "All the Saints of the City of the Angels," at the Autry National Center through Sept. 7, looks at L.A. streets named for various saints and how life on those streets relates to the saints' legends.
The artist, J. Michael Walker, researched the topic for eight years and created 50 paintings of saints, incorporating stylistic aspects of Spanish religious art but using for his models contemporary city-dwellers -- workers, indigents and other ordinary people.
The Autry National Center is at 4700 Western Heritage Way. Details at www.autrynationalcenter.org.