Come March, there are many things you won’t recognize on the Carnival Miracle. She’s heading up to a FunShip 2.0 upgrade, as part of the $500-million program to refresh the ships (12 so far) of the Carnival fleet.

The Norwegian Star

January 7, 2015 Puerto Vallarta - Two cruises are arriving this Wednesday: The Carnival Miracle and The Norwegian Star

With more than five thousand passengers on board in both cruises. These two cruises are part of the 12 that will be arriving this month, out of 142 that API have scheduled in their yearly calendar. No doubt that this year promises to be a year of recovery for the sector that has been suffering for several years.

Arrivals to this port have been increasing, 2013 has been the worst with only 82 boats, but in 2014 the number went up to 112, which indicates a continuous growth for an activity hit by internal and external factors.

Tourism authorities have highlighted the fact that there will be cruises arriving all through the 52 weeks of the year; giving the fact that the shipping company, Carnival Cruise Line, has decided that Carnival Miracle cruise will be arriving at this port every Wednesday throughout the year.

[readon1 url="http://vallartaopina.net/2015/01/07/doble-llegada-de-cruceros-hoy-senal-del-ano-de-la-recuperacion/"]Source: vallartaopina.net - Translated by MAR Translation Services[/readon1]

Carnival Miracle will undergo an extensive refurbishment this spring that will add an array of new and exciting on-board innovations.

McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE:MDR) (“McDermott”) has received authorization from the Central Administration of Customs in Mexico to operate its Altamira fabrication facility near Tampico, Mexico, as a free trade zone

From March through December 2014 the UK PR agency yielded 4,308,557 impressions via print media and 706,065,800 unique monthly visits on the websites; the return was 100 percent greater than the initial investment.

“Most likely 2015 will be the best year in Puerto Vallarta’s history, we are working towards reaching that goal”, expressed the director of Turismo Municipal.

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:PAC)(BMV:GAP) said that the combined maximum tariffs have been published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federación) for the Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, La Paz, Los Mochis, Morelia, Mexicali, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Tijuana and Manzanillo airports for the 2015-2019 period.

The combined maximum tariffs are expressed in workload units for each airport, and were determined by the Aeronautical Authority based on traffic projections, operating costs and capital investments included in the master development program, as well as in accordance with the parameters set out in each airport´s concession title for the calculation of maximum tariffs.

The master development program investments for the 2015-2019 period represent an increase of more than 60 percent from investments made during the 2010-2014 period and represent the largest investment amounts committed to date.

The tariffs in force for 2015 resultfrom the application of the 0.7 percent annual efficiency factor.

For more information regarding the maximum tariffs, please consult: http://dof.gob.mx/DOFmobile/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5377916&fecha=31/12/2014

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, S.A.B. de C.V. operates 12 airports throughout Mexico´s Pacific region, including the major cities of Guadalajara and Tijuana, the four tourist destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, La Paz and Manzanillo, and six other mid-sized cities: Hermosillo, Guanajuato, Morelia, Aguascalientes, Mexicali and Los Mochis.

January 5, 2015 , Mexico City - Today, Chrysler de Mexico reported December total sales of 10,730 units, representing a 2 percent increase versus December 2013; best sales month since 2012.

“2014 was a year full of challenges and changes," said Bruno Cattori, President & CEO of Chrysler de Mexico. "We launched the Ram 700, Jeep Cherokee and the Chrysler 200. We also brought special editions to the market. We are producing the most powerful V-8 engine in the world in our Saltillo engine plant. Last month, we closed the year with a sales record that shows that we are in the right path.”

Chrysler Brand Chrysler brand achieved sales of 539 units, representing a 4 percent sales increase. Chrysler 200 climbed 93 percent versus December 2013; best sales month in its history.

Jeep Brand For the Jeep brand, December was the best sales month since 2007. The Jeep Cherokee continued to lead the way for the brand, setting a sales record with 723 units sold during December 2014. Jeep Compass sales improved 8 percent; best sales month since 2013. Jeep Wrangler reported its best sales month since 2006 with 353 units sold. Jeep Grand Cherokee reported its best sales month since 2011 with 681 units sold.

Dodge Brand The Dodge brand reported sales of 2,670 units. December sales of Dodge Charger hit 569 units; best December in its history. Another vehicle that reported successful numbers was the Dodge Journey, which sold 1,552 units; best sales month of 2014.

Ram Truck Brand Ram brand sales increased 52 percent based on sales success of Ram 4000, which reported a sales improvement of 24 percent versus December 2013. Ram Crew Cab continued its sales success with 579 units sold in December, compared to 503 in December 2013. Ram ProMaster set a sales record in December with 307 units.

FIAT and Alfa Romeo Brands Fiat brand continued to perform well with sales of 852 units in December 2014. Fiat 500 experienced an increase in sales of 18 percent with 511 units sold, setting an all-time record for the brand. About Chrysler de Mexico Chrysler de Mexico was established in 1938 and has its headquarters in Santa Fe. It has seven plants located in Toluca and Saltillo, and one automotive engineering center located in Mexico City. Facilities include Toluca Assembly Plant, Toluca Stamping Plant, Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant, Saltillo Engine Plant Ramos Arizpe, Saltillo Stamping Plant, Saltillo South Engine Plant and Saltillo Van Assembly Plant. Since 2009, Chrysler de Mexico has been implementing World Class Manufacturing (WCM) — a production methodology designed to reduce waste — that has increased productivity, and has restored dignity to the employees in all of its plants.

The Toluca Complex provides body panels and final assembly for Dodge Journey, Fiat 500 and Fiat Freemont. The Saltillo facilities manufacture the 5.7-liter V-8 HEMI® engine, 6.4-liter V-8 HEMI engine and 3.6-liter V-6 Pentastar engine. They also build the Ram 1500, Ram 2500/3500, Ram Mega Cab, Ram 3500 Chassis Cab, Ram 4500/5500, Ram Promaster and DX Chassis Cab (Mexican market), plus related body panels.

The Chrysler Automotive Engineering Center was created to develop, evaluate and test new vehicles to ensure they satisfy government requirements. The Engineering Center includes vehicle testing facilities, pollution/emission labs, material engineering, metrology, and engine & transmission dynamometers.

[readon1 url="http://world.einnews.com/pr_news/242745242/chrysler-de-mexico-established-a-sales-record-best-sales-month-since-2012?n=2&code=HYknyZ8Nml9lRxW7"]Source: world.einnews.com [/readon1]

On 18 December, Volaris’ new service from Cancun to Las Vegas was celebrated with a toast. Among those enjoying the moment were: Rafael Villanueva, Senior Director of International Sales, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (far left); Chris Jones, Public Affairs & Marketing Manager, McCarran International Airport (second from left); and Holger Blankenstein, CCO, Volaris (second from right in pink tie). There was also an impressive cake to commemorate the event.(Picture credit Las Vegas News Bureau.)

Reno-Tahoe Airport in Nevada became Volaris’ newest destination on 16 December with the introduction on twice-weekly flights from Guadalajara. The route has become the first regular commercial service from outside the US in 15 years at the Nevada airport.

Volaris continues to expand its US presence. In mid-December the airline added two new routes to airports in Nevada. On 16 December the Mexican LCC began a twice-weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays) service on the 2,625-kilometre route between Guadalajara (GDL) and Reno, NV (RNO). Then, on 18 December, it began twice-weekly (Thursdays and Sundays) flights on the 3,214-kilometre route between Cancun (CUN) and Las Vegas, NV (LAS). This becomes Volaris’ first international route from its Cancun base. Neither of these airport pairs is flown by any other carrier, and will be operated by the airline’s A320-series aircraft. This winter Volaris will serve 33 destinations non-stop from Guadalajara (including 16 in the US), and 14 from Cancun.

[readon1 url="http://www.anna.aero/2015/01/05/volaris-launches-two-routes-to-nevada/"]Source: www.anna.aero [/readon1]

Around this time last year, here were some of the common predictions for 2014: Interest rates would rise (in reality, they fell). Oil prices would surpass $100 per barrel and stay there (latest price: around $54). Apple’s iWatch would be the killer product of the year (it’s not out yet). And the stock market rally would stall (stocks are likely to end the year up a frothy 13% or so).

Meanwhile, virtually nobody predicted the rise of the Islamic State, the deadly toll of Ebola, the worst year for aviation safety in decades or the remarkable 46% drop in oil prices.

Predicting the future is a fool’s errand, of course, but that doesn’t stop self-appointed seers from doing it anyway--and many others from wagering real money on trends that may or may not materialize. So I reviewed dozens of predictions for the next 12 months and winnowed them down to a few commonly repeated one that are pat, naïve or simply wishful thinking. Here are my picks for the worst predictions for 2015:

It will be a breakthrough year for wearable technology. The iWatch should finally make its debut, with dozens of cheaper smart watches and other wearable gizmos already on the market. Just because Apple (AAPL) rolls out a wearable device, however, doesn’t mean the idea is a winner. Sure, there will be some takers who really need to strap a glorified iPhone to their wrist. But the usefulness of another costly device that’s basically an extension of your phone still isn’t obvious. Google (GOOGL) Glass was supposed to be a breakthrough product by now, but the few trons who wear it have failed to incite the mass-market face-computing craze true believers still think is coming. Okay, so a wearable computer will seem more natural on your wrist than on your face. Sure.

The Internet of Things will begin to dominate. There probably will come a time when digital devices communicating with each other will allow homes, cars, refrigerators and many other products to operate like a symphony of smart living because they know when and where we need to use them. But one big problem stands in the way: hackers. Connecting different elements of your home and other products you use to the Internet—a prerequisite of connected living—creates a big new security vulnerability most consumers haven’t begun to grapple with. Few device manufacturers have, either. Given how much trouble huge corporations like Sony (SNE), Apple, Home Depot (HD), Staples (SPLS), J.P. Morgan Chase (JPM) and Target (TGT) have had with hackers, how are ordinary people supposed to contend with them? Memo to Silicon Valley: hackers pose the biggest threat to the digital economy since its invention. Please fix.

Gasoline prices will be [?]. They might drift below $2 per gallon, or rocket up to $4. Nobody knows! But forecasters still have to guess. The smartest way for consumers and investors to cope with volatile energy prices is to enjoy the windfall when they're unexpectedly low, but expect oil and gas to return to higher trendlines over time. If you overestimate future energy costs, it just means more of a windfall down the road.

Corporations will take on governmental roles. Since Washington, Brussels and other governing capitals can’t get anything done, the thinking goes, corporations that know how to solve problems will begin to get involved in civic matters such as fixing roads, funding schools and managing public health care. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen. Corporations exist for one explicit purpose—to earn money—and there’s nothing wrong with that. Corporations are also adept at gaming the political system for their own advantage, through customized tax breaks, regulatory rollbacks and any other favors they can beg or buy from politicians. Purchasing the naming rights to every stadium in America seems like enough civic involvement for big business. If government doesn’t work, we should fix government through means that exist for that purpose (uh, elections) instead of seeking alternatives likely to be worse.

The stock market will be sanguine in 2015. With the economy stronger than it's been in years, consensus forecasts call for a gain of 10% or so for the S&P 500 by the end of 2015. Of course it could happen, with the long bull market that’s risen about 200% since 2009 adding a few more points to its impressive tally. But the end of the rally has to come at some point and there are plenty of things that could trigger it in 2015: severe knock-on effects from the plunge in oil prices, the beginning of interest-rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, a full-blown economic crisis in Russia or something nobody is contemplating right now. It’s true such risks have been more or less a constant for the last five years, with the markets shrugging them off. But that has bred complacency and drawn a lot of late money into stocks. It can’t last forever.

There are also some thoughtful predictions for 2015 that bring fresh ideas to this annual, year-end festival of groupthink: General Motors will wow consumers with amazing new products and features, after a dreadful year dominated by shameful safety scandals. Amazon (AMZN) and Walmart (WMT) will become big players in the health care business. Russian-style nationalism will be a resurgent geopolitical problem. And 2015 will be the year you, the typical consumer, get seriously hacked.

There’s one other prediction that’s the easiest to make of all. Something unforeseen, and absent from every prediction list, will end up being the biggest story of 2015. Just as it is every year.

Rick Newman’s latest book is Rebounders: How Winners Pivot From Setback To Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman.

[readon1 url="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-4-worst-predictions-for-2015-170444491.html"]Source:finance.yahoo.com[/readon1]

Finding a job in the United States is tough enough, but what about landing your dream job in a new country? How to find a new job abroad is a question we get every day from aspiring expats just like you, so we went looking for expert answers.

Fortunately, we were able to track down a global expert on international careers in Singapore. Megan Fitzgerald is a long-time expat and international career coach. Her company, Career By Choice, helps expats accelerate their careers abroad.

“Finding a job abroad is much more challenging than finding a job in your homeland,” Fitzgerald said. “I think a lot of people think getting a job abroad is like getting a job at home, but there is just so much more research that has to go into it in terms of understanding market needs, visa requirements, language skills demands and other factors.”

Fitzgerald believes that figuring out why you want to go abroad is the first step you should take. “For some people it is quality of life. They really do want to live in another culture and experience something different. For others, it is about career advancement. They want global experience because they believe it is going to help them leapfrog through positions to advance their careers. For some it is a learning experience, they want to learn a new language. And some just want to earn a lot of money for a couple of years. You should base your planning objectives first and foremost on why you want to move abroad.”

Having a savings plan also is a good idea . “You want to create a little cushion for yourself so you will have money for the unexpected expenses that may occur, or if something happens and you have to get yourself back home,” she said. “People often run into trouble because expatriation is an expensive process and they stretch their finances too thin.”

Fitzgerald also recommended landing a job before landing in your new country. “I always say get the job first because when you go there, you will have just a short period of time. Tourist visas do not provide the amount of time necessary to land a proper job, at least one that is in your area of interest or one that is going to provide a livable wage or a wage that is going to support the lifestyle that you are looking for.”

One of the job trends Fitzgerald noted is increasing opportunities for younger people because they are seen as less pricey, more mobile and lower risk. “A lot of younger people understand the value of the international experience, so they are willing to go to places that someone with a family may not be willing to go, and take on challenges that might be a little more on the risky side,” Fitzgerald explained.

Whether you are younger or a bit older, many of the same job qualifications that exist in your home country also exist abroad. Fitzgerald pointed out that qualities like strong verbal and written communication skills, trustworthiness, resilience, flexibility and the ability to adjust and adapt are what employers look for, no matter where you are.

The job hunt abroad is not without its challenges, though. Expats may face difficulties if they are not mentally prepared for how much culture can impact the process.

“Do not assume that the way the world operates where you are is the same elsewhere,” Fitzgerald said. “That is where a lot of people run into trouble, whether it is how they access opportunities, how they apply for a job, how they build relationships and network, how they interview and how they negotiate salary. All these things can be very, very impacted by the culture and location.”

“Insensitivity to culture and not understanding how the target culture engages are barriers that a lot of people just do not think about enough,” Fitzgerald said. “It is sort of the ‘Achilles heel’ for a lot of people. You need to keep an open mind and be receptive to learning how things are done in the country.”

Via a press release, the Director of the Maritime and Port Authority, Guillermo Ruiz de Teresa, announced plans for the construction of a boardwalk (malecón) in San Blas, Riviera Nayarit. This will facilitate the development of nautical tourism and both recreational and sports activities and will spur economic growth.

He stated the work would commence next year and conclude in early 2016; it will incur an approximate investment of 100 million Mexican pesos.

Ruiz de Teresa also added the project includes a boardwalk and complementary structures, including four docks, a loading ramp and several sports installations such as a beach volleyball court and play areas.

The boardwalk will be located on the seafront extending from the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) to the Fueling Dock along one side of the Fonatur building, which houses the offices of Mexico’s national trust for the promotion of tourism.

According to the Director of the Maritime and Port Authority, the boardwalk will be 300 meters long, 850 of which will be set aside for an 8-meter wide avenue, with 450 meters reserved as a pedestrian walkway.