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I stayed in a $2,850-per-person balcony cabin on Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship. Here’s what it’s like.

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If you have $2,850 to spend, you could buy a Prada Re-Edition Saffiano purse, a 16-inch MacBook Pro, or an Hermès Bearn mini wallet.

Or, if you prefer spending your money on experiences rather than products, you could book yourself a balcony cabin on Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, the 3,565-guest Norwegian Luna.

Norwegian Luna, the sister vessel of its predecessor, Norwegian Aqua, is outfitted with family-fun amenities like a hybrid rollercoaster-waterslide and a high-tech mini-golf course, as well as grown-up-friendly spaces like an outdoor adults-only lounge and a wine bar.

But at the end of the day, when you need a break from all these activities, your stateroom will be the most important space on board.

For me, that was an aft balcony cabin on the 10th deck, which Norwegian assigned me for the new vessel’s complimentary three-night non-revenue test cruise in late March.

Balcony cabins can be $2,000 more expensive (per person) than the cheapest inside cabins.

Norwegian Luna has a variety of cabins.

Brittany Chang

At the time of writing, the least-expensive inside cabins for Norwegian Luna’s 2026 itineraries start at about $850 per person for a seven-day cruise from Miami to Harvest Caye (the company’s private Belize island); Cozumel, Mexico; and Roatán, Honduras.

On the same itinerary, a balcony cabin starts at $2,850 per person, or about $410 per person per day.

As with any cruise, these costs include meals at onboard restaurants, several amenities, and the opportunity to visit multiple destinations in one voyage.

The balcony felt private and big enough for the basics, but mine wasn’t always quiet.


View of balcony doors in room on Norwegian Luna

The peacefulness of your balcony area may depend on where your cabin is.

Brittany Chang

Balcony cabins range from 231 to 358 square feet, according to Norwegian.

The outdoor area, separated from the room by heavy glass doors, ranges from about 45 to 69 square feet, providing just enough room for two chairs and a small side table, although not much else.

It’s not the most spacious balcony, but it’s great for a morning coffee or a seated afternoon read.

However, depending on where your cabin is located, you shouldn’t expect a quiet atmosphere. My stateroom, 10234, had expansive ocean views but was perched above Ocean Boulevard, the ship’s outdoor wrap-around walkway and lounge.

When I left my sliding door open, I could hear the loud chatter and conversations from the people below.

In terms of the cabin itself, a queen bed is the star of the space.


View of bed, baclony door in room on Norwegian Luna

The queen bed sits just beyond the glass sliding doors.

Brittany Chang

Past the sliding glass doors, you’ll find a queen bed.

The bed — flanked by nightstands with lights and outlets — is perched across from the television screen, which is preset with a handful of paid and complimentary movies, shows, and television stations (the latter is mostly news channels and Norwegian programming).

If you need to sleep more than two people, you can book a family balcony cabin with a pull-out sofa bed.


Couch with side table with lamp in room on Norwegian Luna

The couch is comfortable, too.

Brittany Chang

Traveling with more than two people? Some of the balcony cabins also have a pull-out sofa bed that can sleep an additional two travelers.

The lounge seating is located next to the bed, separated only by the nightstand. Despite being multipurpose, the sofa is firm with just enough give to feel comfortable.

The sofa is across from the desk area.


Desk/vanity area with tissue box, phone in room on Norwegian Luna

The desk area has lots of lighting and a mirror for those who want to get ready there.

Brittany Chang

There’s no coffee table, but there is a desk with a small backless seat and wall-mounted shelves for additional storage.

For remote workers, there are plenty of outlets and countertop space for a laptop. For vacationers, this desk doubles as a great vanity with a light-up mirror.

It also hides the mini-refrigerator, although you’ll have to pay extra for the drinks inside.

For additional storage, turn to the closets.


Mirrored closet doors with hangers visible inside

I found a few hangers in the closet area.

Brittany Chang

The storage section has two units: a large closet with sliding doors and automatic lights, and a smaller section with vertical space for hanging long dresses and suits.

Both halves have pull-down shelves for storing luggage and bags. If you want to put away smaller clothing items, use the larger closet, which has plenty of built-in shelves and hangers (it’s also where you’ll find the room’s safe).

The adjacent wall has a staggered row of hooks, perfect for hanging grab-and-go essentials like jackets and bags.

The closet is across from the bathroom, which features a large shower.


Bathroomwith large sink, shelving in room on Norwegian Luna

The bathroom felt like most others I’ve seen on cruises.

Brittany Chang

A narrow walkway separates the closet from the bathroom, which has all the core basics. Expect traditional cruise bathroom amenities: a toilet, a large sink, shelves, drawers, and a shower.

I’ve been in plenty of cramped cruise cabin bathrooms, where a scalp scrub comes with a few elbows to the wall. That wasn’t the case here.

Surprisingly, I had no issue with this shower: It was wide and spacious (for my 5-foot, 4-inch frame), with a retractable pull-out drying line to hang post-pool swimwear.

If you have a strict shower routine, be sure to pack your own toiletries.


Shampoo and soap dispensers in shower

The shower is surprisingly spacious.

Brittany Chang

The bathroom comes with wall-mounted hand soap, body wash, and two-in-one shampoo and conditioner — no body lotion, separate hair conditioner, or dental hygiene products.

As far as two-in-one products go, the joint shampoo and conditioner was fine. Did it leave my hair feeling as smooth as a traditional hair conditioner? No. Did it help with some detangling? Yes.

That said, most mass-market cruise lines don’t provide hair conditioner, anyway, and it’s easy enough to pack your own.

In terms of room decor, the space is very simple.


backlit headboard in room on Norwegian Luna

The room felt pretty simple.

Brittany Chang

The cabin is outfitted with ambient lights that surround the accent wall, modern bedside light fixtures that add a warm glow, and two simple decorative sofa pillows.

Generally, the space’s design is inoffensive, basic, and light, creating a clean, bright ambiance. Expect neutral hues of browns and blues, much like the rest of the ship.

Overall, Luna’s stateroom plays it safe with the minimal decor and comfortable amenities, but that’s not a bad thing.


View of vanity area, couch, doorway in room on Norwegian Luna

Ultimately, this room is worth the cost if you want a private outdoor space and a calm, simple cabin.

Brittany Chang

Is a balcony worth the additional $2,000-per-person cost? If your priority is having access to a private, open-air space with ocean views, then yes.

It’s comparable in size to most mass-market balcony cabins — and it wasn’t as gaudy as Norwegian Prima’s balcony stateroom, thanks in part to the more simplistic wall decor on Luna.

It’s the perfect peaceful retreat from the rest of the ship, so long as you remember to pack your own body lotion and select a cabin overlooking a quieter space.




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Tips to catch your flight as TSA lines stretched hours at some US airports

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Flying during a partial government shutdown is like playing a game of TSA line roulette.

A shortage of security agents at Houston’s Hobby Airport and New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International Airport led to extraordinary security queues that stretched up to three hours on Sunday. The general line in Houston snaked into the parking garage.

Airports in San Juan, Atlanta, and Charlotte have similarly told travelers to budget extra time for staffing-related security delays after many TSA agents — deemed “essential” and required to work without pay during the shutdown — didn’t show up. Wait times at these airports were under 30 minutes on Thursday, but that could change with little notice as the busy spring break season goes into full swing.

Agents are expected to receive their first $0 paycheck this weekend, raising the likelihood that more fed-up agents will call in sick.

Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst and the president of Atmosphere Research Group, told Business Insider that, for now, the TSA chaos appears localized to select airports where mass callouts collided with peak spring break travel. The US Travel Association estimated that a record 171 million people will fly in March and April.

Most other airports across the US are operating normally. Houston’s larger airport, George Bush Intercontinental, reported wait times as short as a few minutes Thursday morning; major hubs like New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Dallas-Fort Worth were reporting 20 minutes or less.

Still, this hasn’t made the situation any less confusing.

Harteveldt said it’s likely the chaos will spread to other airports the longer security officers work without pay — with the coming missed paycheck likely motivating even more callouts, as seen during the full government shutdown in October and early November.

“We know from the last government shutdown that it’s difficult for TSA employees to work for a sustained period without any income,” he said. “So these individuals calling out or leaving to work a supplementary job that will provide some type of pay is completely understandable.”

Here are tips if you’re headed to the airport as the shutdown drags on.

Budget extra time

Between the partial shutdown and higher fuel prices due to the war in Iran, Harteveldt advised that travelers who haven’t yet booked should consider postponing until things are “calmer and more predictable.”

Consider taking a train or driving if you must travel. If you must fly, be sure to budget extra time for security, whether the airport is bottlenecked or running normally.


Passengers in TSA line

A TSA agent shortage caused by the partial government shutdown led to long lines at airport security.

RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP



“Short-staffed airports may be less diligent in updating security wait times, so the 15- or 30-minute waits you see online may not be accurate,” Harteveldt said.

Houston Hobby Airport on Tuesday told passengers to arrive three hours early for domestic flights and four hours early for international flights due to staffing shortages at TSA.

Sally French, a travel analyst at NerdWallet, said she usually recommends travelers use the MyTSA mobile app to check security lines ahead of time, but warned it may not be accurate because it is not being updated during the shutdown.

Get in the fast lane

Travelers should check whether their ticket and the airport allow them to use security lanes that bypass the general line.

“If you can opt into the TSA’s Touchless ID, that may be faster, but it and other expedited lines still may be closed during the shutdown,” Harteveldt said.


TSA agent at Touchless ID stand in Charlotte.

Touchless ID still requires an agent present to manage and monitor the station, but the ID process is faster.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport



Touchless ID is a voluntary system that allows enrolled passengers to enter security using facial recognition instead of showing an ID and boarding pass to a TSA agent. Eligible travelers must have a passport, an active airline profile, and be a TSA PreCheck member.

However, the feature is only available to passengers of participating airlines at certain major airports and may be unavailable during the shutdown.

French said people with certain airline status or who bought higher-fare tickets should check if they have access to expedited security lanes.

Some airlines allow people to buy separate access to speedier lines: United’s “Premiere Access,” for example, starts at $24 and includes an exclusive security line, though the perk is subject to availability.

Invest in TSA PreCheck

French said TSA PreCheck is among the most reliable ways to get through security faster: “I always recommend applying for TSA PreCheck; so many credit cards offer it as a benefit in that they cover your application fee.”

TSA PreCheck — which allows passengers to keep their toiletries and laptops in their bags, wear their shoes and jackets, and use a metal detector instead of full-body scanners — costs about $76 for a five-year membership.


A TSA Precheck sign at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston.

Houston Hobby Airport made headlines on Sunday when the general security line reached three hours. PreCheck could be a saving grace.

Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images



It requires proof of US citizenship or residency, passing a background check, and completing an in-person interview.

Credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Capital One Venture offer PreCheck reimbursement. The quicker line typically requires fewer agents thanks to the less intensive screening — and it’s still open at most airports despite DHS briefly closing it earlier in the shutdown.

CLEAR, a privately owned security program available at most major airports, is another option. Enrolled travelers verify their identity using biometrics and are then escorted to the front of the line — similar to Touchless ID. It’s $209 annually.

Don’t bet on compensation from your airline

If long TSA lines make you miss your flight, airlines will often rebook you on the next available flight.

But that’s largely as much as airlines offer — the shutdown is out of their control, so any hotel or meal vouchers would be a goodwill gesture. Still, it’s good to ask.

Travel insurance and credit-card trip-delay coverage also usually won’t help, since they only cover events like bad weather or mechanical problems. Staffing issues aren’t always a covered reason. Passengers can also ask their airline about standby or refunds, but policies vary.

Bottom line: give yourself extra time and know your airline’s rules before traveling this month.




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Morgan Stanley is cutting 3% of its workforce in core business lines, including banking, trading, wealth

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Morgan Stanley is reducing its global workforce by 3%.

The reductions are expected to impact roughly 2,500 positions out of the about 83,000 the firm reported at the end of 2025, a person familiar with the situation confirmed to Business Insider, adding that they will take place in early March. The Wall Street Journal first reported Morgan Stanley’s cuts on Wednesday afternoon.

The cuts will be global and span the firm’s three primary business units: Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management. The rationale for the reduction is a combination of shifting business priorities, a revised global location strategy, and individual performance reviews, the person added, saying that the action is set to affect both front-office, revenue-generating roles and back-office support positions.

Notably, the person said that, while the firm’s respected wealth management division is affected, the cuts in that business line are focused on corporate “home office” roles. Financial advisors in field offices are not affected by this round of layoffs, the person continued.

The move follows a similar round of cuts last spring, when the bank reportedly trimmed approximately 2,000 roles. However, the current reductions come at a more optimistic moment for the firm’s bottom line. In its most recent earnings report, Morgan Stanley posted record full-year 2025 revenues of $70.6 billion, with investment banking revenues surging 47% in the final quarter of the year.

The layoffs come as the broader financial industry prepares for an anticipated windfall in corporate dealmaking, and some rivals are touting how they’re bulking up — not pulling back — on head count to meet the moment. Still, while Morgan Stanley is reducing head count in specific areas, the person with knowledge of the bank’s thinking said, it’s still planning for long-term growth and intends to add resources in some sectors while trimming in others.




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OpenAI shares its contract language and ‘red lines’ in agreement with the Department of War

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OpenAI says its agreement with the Department of War is “better” and has more safety guardrails than the one Anthropic was blacklisted for refusing to comply with.

In a blog post published Saturday, OpenAI shared some contract language from its agreement with the Department of War, including clauses that indicate its tech cannot be used for mass domestic surveillance or to power autonomous weapons or high-stakes decision systems like “social credit” scores.

“We think our agreement has more guardrails than any previous agreement for classified AI deployments, including Anthropic’s,” OpenAI’s post read. “In our agreement, we protect our red lines through a more expansive, multi-layered approach. We retain full discretion over our safety stack, we deploy via cloud, cleared OpenAI personnel are in the loop, and we have strong contractual protections. This is all in addition to the strong existing protections in U.S. law.”

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took to social media shortly after the company’s blog post was published, answering questions from users concerned about the nature of OpenAI’s agreement with the government.

In Ask-Me-Anything-style responses, he doubled down on OpenAI’s agreement being better than Anthropic’s, not just for the broader AI landscape but also for the American people.

“Anthropic seemed more focused on specific prohibitions in the contract, rather than citing applicable laws, which we felt comfortable with,” Altman wrote in response to a question about why OpenAI agreed to partner with the government when its rival would not. “I think Anthropic may have wanted more operational control than we did.”

OpenAI’s agreement with the federal government comes on the heels of Anthropic being blacklisted and declared a supply chain risk after refusing to comply with the military’s terms of use for the company’s frontier model, Claude.

Anthropic, in a Friday statement, said that “no amount of intimidation or punishment from the Department of War will change our position on mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons” and vowed to “challenge any supply chain risk designation in court.”

OpenAI, in its Saturday post, argued that Anthropic should not be designated as a supply chain risk and said it had made its position “clear to the government.” Its agreement with the Department of War stemmed, in part, from a desire to “de-escalate things between DoW and the US AI labs.”

“A good future is going to require real and deep collaboration between the government and the AI labs,” OpenAI’s post reads. “As part of our deal here, we asked that the same terms be made available to all AI labs, and specifically that the government would try to resolve things with Anthropic; the current state is a very bad way to kick off this next phase of collaboration between the government and AI labs.”

Representatives for OpenAI and Anthropic did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider. It was not immediately clear whether Anthropic, or any other leading AI company, had been offered similar contractual terms to those that OpenAI said it had agreed to.

OpenAI said that, as part of its deal with the Department of War, it will maintain “full control” over the safety stack it deploys, and robust “safety guardrails” to prevent misuse. Should the government violate the terms of the agreement, OpenAI said it “could” terminate the contract.

“We don’t expect that to happen,” OpenAI said in its post.

Altman, in his Ask Me Anything posts, wrote that OpenAI would not agree to allow the government to use its technology for mass domestic surveillance “because it violates the constitution.”

He added that he is prepared for a potential dispute over the legality of specific governmental requests in the future, but added that if the Constitution were amended to make such surveillance legal, “Maybe I would quit my job.”

“I very deeply believe in the democratic process, and that our elected leaders have the power, and that we all have to uphold the constitution,” Altman wrote. “I am terrified of a world where AI companies act like they have more power than the government. I would also be terrified of a world where our government decided mass domestic surveillance was ok. I don’t know how I’d come to work every day if that were the state of the country/Constitution.”

The dispute between the government and the AI giants has sparked widespread criticism, with critics concerned about the ethical implications of the Department of War’s use of AI and OpenAI’s agreement to provide the government access to its technology.

OpenAI on Saturday said it believes AI will “introduce new risks in the world” and, by allowing the government use of its models, will give people defending national security “the best tools” to do so.

Business Insider previously reported that Anthropic’s model, Claude, shot to the top of the app store on Saturday, and many people on social media, including celebrities like Katy Perry, have publicly posted about canceling their ChatGPT subscriptions in the wake of OpenAI’s agreement with the government.




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