A passenger uses Biometric technology made by iProov is part of three identity-confirmation pilot programs at Orlando International Airport in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 4, 2025. New facial-recognition tools being tested at Orlando International Airport could soon be keeping track of travelers at departure gates across the country. (Jacob Langston/The New York Times) By CHRISTINE CHUNG Imagine you’re preparing to board an international flight at a U.S. airport. Instead of jugglin

Guests at Mary’s Boon Hotel on Simpson Bay Beach, St. Maarten, on June 8, 2025. The dual-nation island of Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin offers lots of frugal diversions, including vivid street murals, hilly hikes and local barbecue. (Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times) By ELAINE GLUSAC Logistics tend to bump up the price of visiting the Caribbean. But the dual-nation island of Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin offers an advantage: It’s a transportation hub for

Piet Heezen and his children with Dick Mol, a self-taught paleontologist, right, on Maasvlakte 2 beach, a popular destination for fossil seekers in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Oct. 14, 2025. “Citizen paleontologists” can keep the fossils they uncover around Europe’s largest port. All the professionals ask is that those amateurs let them know. (Ilvy Njiokiktjien/The New York Times) By NINA SIEGAL After scouring a beach in the harbor all morning in Rotterdam, Netherlands, a ret

Sunset from a cruise cabin in the Bahamas on Feb. 6, 2025. As cruise travel hits record demand, cases of sexual assault have also risen. Many accusers learn that the rights they had on land don’t always apply. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times) By CEYLAN YEĞINSU Two days into a 12-night Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Sun, after an evening watching karaoke with her parents, a 20-year-old woman went to the nightclub to meet people her age. After ordering a drink around 11 p.m.

The gift shop at Hacienda Doka in Costa Rica in October 2025. (Toh Gouttenoire/The New York Times) By ELAINE GLUSAC Amid a September downpour in a beach town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, I was reminded that I’d bet on poor odds. Locals had assured me their rainy season, from May through November, consisted of bright mornings and afternoon showers followed by clearing skies, at least most of the time. Still, the rewards for risking rain were substantial, including low p

Sometimes even your most valiant efforts aren’t enough to get you to the gate on time. (Weston Wei/The New York Times) By GABE CASTRO-ROOT The dubious social media trend known as “airport theory” holds that travelers can arrive at the airport just 15 minutes before their flight because the plane simply won’t leave without them. Don’t believe everything you see online: Your plane will leave whether you’re on it or not. Sometimes, though, it’s not your fault. Even if you give y

Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, Ga. following mandated cuts to flight traffic on November 7, 2025. The Federal Aviation Administration has required airlines to cut flights to reduce the strain on air traffic controllers, who have gone weeks without a paycheck. (Nicole Craine/The New York Times) By CHRISTINE CHUNG, CLAIRE FAHY and GABE CASTRO-ROOT After the Trump administration announced it would cut 10% of air traffic at 40 of the busiest airports in the country, airli

The gift shop at Hacienda Doka in Costa Rica in October 2025. (Toh Gouttenoire/The New York Times) By ELAINE GLUSAC Amid a September downpour in a beach town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, I was reminded that I’d bet on poor odds. Locals had assured me their rainy season, from May through November, consisted of bright mornings and afternoon showers followed by clearing skies, at least most of the time. Still, the rewards for risking rain were substantial, including low p