• We booked the least expensive suite on a Seabourn ultra-luxury cruise for about $9,000.
• After crunching numbers and seeing high-end resort prices, this felt reasonable for a family trip.
• We loved getting to see lots of new places and not worry about having to plan our meals.

I paid $9,000 for what was technically the cheapest room on an ultra-luxury cruise — a price that initially felt steep until I compared it with alternatives.

My family had been planning a multigenerational trip to the Caribbean during the busy period between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, which is also one of the most expensive travel weeks of the year.

We wanted something that felt indulgent without becoming logistically exhausting or financially disproportionate once all the extras were added up.

At first, we looked at high-end beach resorts, but they were commanding eye-watering rates. I saw a few in Barbados and St. Barts charging over $4,000 a night for a room, and that price doesn’t even include food, drinks, and gratuities.

The costs seemed like they could really add up. As we ran the numbers, an all-inclusive cruise began to make more sense.

Plus, we liked the idea of exploring Caribbean destinations we hadn’t visited before without having to deal with multiple hotel check-ins, flights, and transfers. A port-heavy itinerary could allow us to sample several places while unpacking just once.

So, our group settled on a 12-night Caribbean cruise aboard the Seabourn Ovation.

Our family booked two rooms and spent about $20,000 on the cruise.

We traveled as a group of five: my mother, my brother and sister-in-law, their 7-year-old son, and me.

In total, we booked two entry-level suites — one for my mother and me, and another for my brother, sister-in-law, and their son — bringing the combined cruise fare to just over $20,000 for five people across 12 nights.

This figure includes accommodations, all meals, a selection of soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, and gratuities. We saved some money on my 7-year-old nephew’s fare thanks to the cruise line’s third-guest-at-half-price policy.

By booking through a preferred travel advisor, I also received $400 in onboard credit, plus an additional $250 referral credit (which my brother’s family also received).

Our cabin felt like part of a boutique hotel.

Our suite measured 302 square feet, plus a 68-square-foot balcony.

Its decor was pretty minimal, but it felt a bit elevated with accents of marble, dark wood, and glass.

Despite being the cheapest option on the ship, this room felt more like it was part of a boutique hotel than just a standard cruise cabin.

The walk-in closet was a pleasant surprise.

The base-category suite felt thoughtfully laid out, with a seating area, a couch, a table, two beds, and a generously sized walk-in closet. Our clothes and bags easily fit inside with space to spare.

In the other suite, a sofa bed was set up as a dedicated sleeping space for my nephew.

The bathroom had dual sinks, a tub, and a compact but functional shower.

The bright-white bathroom featured dual vanities, a soaking tub, and a glass-enclosed shower. My only critique was the shower size, which felt slightly tight compared to ones in some newer ships we’ve sailed on.

Our room’s minibar was stocked exactly to our preferences.

We were delighted to find our room’s minibar stocked with complimentary ginger beer, juices, and the spirits we requested prior to our sailing.

Twice-daily housekeeping kept everything meticulously refreshed.

Room aside, we were pretty happy with the ship.

Since all of our meals, standard beverages, and gratuities were included in the cost of the cruise fare, we didn’t have to budget or crunch numbers during our trip.

We had most of our dinners in the ship’s main dining room, which was so easy. It felt quite formal, and the rotating menus kept things interesting across the 12-night itinerary.

Passengers also had access to The Patio, a poolside eatery with laid-back fare, and The Colonnade, a more casual spot serving buffet breakfasts and lunches, plus seated themed dinners.

We also enjoyed our opportunities for specialty dining.

Options for specialty dining included a sushi restaurant and a Mediterranean eatery called Solis, which was a standout for me.

The menu featured steak, lobster, and whole grilled fish deboned tableside. I particularly loved its post-dinner affogatos

Pools, hot tubs, and quieter outdoor spaces were easy to find.

The ship has a large main pool surrounded by lots of loungers, though we preferred the smaller hot tubs in other areas.

Quieter spots, like the hot tub at the bow with incredible views of the ocean, quickly became our favorites.

My favorite area on board was The Retreat.

Located on the top sundeck, The Retreat was my favorite area on the ship.

The space offered shaded cabanas, a noticeably calmer atmosphere than the main pool deck, and attentive, unhurried service.

To access it, passengers had to pay an additional $150 per day on port days or $250 on sea days.

Booking it on sea days felt especially worthwhile. The quiet setting made it easy to relax or catch up on a bit of remote work on my laptop without feeling out of place.

Excursions cost extra, but they felt well-organized and fairly priced.

We mostly booked excursions through the cruise line for peace of mind.

Our favorite was in Saint Lucia, where a packed day included a catamaran ride, volcano hike, mud bath, and snorkeling.

The excursion ran late, but the ship waited for us as it had been booked through them.

Holiday surprises added to the experience.

On Saint Kitts, the crew arranged a private Christmas Day beach party with grilled lobster and drinks. Later, Santa Claus arrived by Jet Ski to serve caviar and Champagne in the surf.

The cruise’s overall cost felt reasonable considering everything it included.

Ultimately, our cruise averaged out to about $333 per person, per night. That felt surprisingly fair considering how much was included in our 12-night trip.

We also really enjoyed the ship’s intimate size. Compared to other mega-ships carrying thousands of people, this 600-passenger vessel felt calm, navigable, and personal. We never felt overwhelmed by crowds, even on sea days.

Although children aren’t typically the target audience for ultra-luxury cruises, my nephew genuinely had a great time alongside the mostly older guests. His sailing also felt like a great value, considering he was charged half price as a third guest and still had his own proper bed.

For a multigenerational holiday trip that combined ease, variety, and consistent service, the value ultimately justified the price.

All in all, we enjoyed the trip enough to book another Seabourn voyage (at a discounted price) before disembarking.

Business Insider is launching CMO Insider, a new weekly newsletter delivering a candid look at the forces reshaping marketing. Business Insider’s CMO Insider franchise serves as a destination for marketing professionals, combining video interviews, news and trend coverage, and live events. The newsletter will serve as a central pillar of the franchise and the first edition will be sent on March 4th.

Written by Business Insider senior correspondent Lara O’Reilly, CMO Insider takes readers inside the power and pressures defining modern marketing by blending scoops, analysis, and insights designed to help CMOs and marketing leaders stay ahead in a rapidly changing industry.

O’Reilly’s award-winning work has sparked global conversations about leadership in advertising and has revealed the inside stories behind the rise and fall of major adtech companies. She is in constant conversation with CMOs and is closely tracking trends shaping the industry right now, from the explosive growth of the creator economy to the disruptive impact of AI.

“Every Wednesday, I’ll be opening up my reporter’s notebook to share a candid take on what really matters across the modern marketing landscape,” O’Reilly said. “With more than a decade of experience reporting on some of the biggest businesses — and biggest personalities — in the space, my CMO Insider newsletter is designed to be your trusty sidekick to help you keep up with an industry that never stays still.”

During the Cannes Lions Festival, CMO Insider will publish daily, bringing readers in on O’Reilly’s on-the-ground conversations and observations. The announcement builds on Business Insider’s recent expansion of its newsletter portfolio beyond its flagship Business Insider Today newsletter, including newer offerings such as First Trade, Tech Memo, Work Shift, and Side Hustlers.

• Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
• He was previously stripped of his royal titles amid scrutiny of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
• He has said Ghislaine Maxwell had introduced him to Epstein.

Many unanswered questions remain about the relationship between Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — formerly Prince Andrew — and Jeffrey Epstein, but the former royal once said they were introduced by Ghislaine Maxwell.

Maxwell, the British socialite who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex-trafficking underage girls for Epstein after pleading not guilty, and Mountbatten-Windsor are understood to have enjoyed a close friendship in the ’90s and early 2000s, when they were regularly spotted together on the New York and London social scenes.

Two sources who were interviewed for the 2022 ITV documentary “Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile” said that Mountbatten-Windsor and Maxwell were so close that Buckingham Palace staff believed they dated at one point in the early aughts.

It was also in the early 2000s that Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre alleges Epstein and Maxwell made her sleep with the then-prince on multiple occasions when she was 17.

Giuffre, who died by suicide in April 2025, sued Mountbatten-Windsor in 2021 over allegations he sexually assaulted her at Maxwell’s London home, at Epstein’s New York home, and on Epstein’s private island.

Mountbatten-Windsor has long denied the allegations, saying he doesn’t recall ever meeting Giuffre. Still, in 2022, they reached a settlement for an undisclosed amount. He has also been stripped of his royal patronages and military and royal titles.

On Thursday, he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office amid renewed scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein.

He has long been tied to Epstein through his friendship with Maxwell. Here’s a timeline of their friendship as documented in news reports and interviews over the years.

Mountbatten-Windsor met Maxwell when she was at university

Mountbatten-Windsor said in his infamous November 2019 interview with BBC Newsnight that he’d known Maxwell since her university days.

Maxwell attended Oxford University, graduating in 1985, during which Mountbatten-Windsor was serving in the Royal Navy.

Maxwell also came from a well-connected family. Her father, Robert Maxwell, was the owner of the Daily Mirror newspaper and a onetime member of Parliament before his death in 1991.

The pair were often spotted together in the late ’90s and early aughts

Maxwell and Mountbatten-Windsor seemed especially close in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when their outings on the New York and London social scene were widely covered in the press, and the friends were often pictured together.

• February 1999: Flight logs obtained by the Daily Mirror show Mountbatten-Windsor flew with Maxwell aboard Epstein’s private jet to the financier’s private Caribbean island, Little St. James.
• Late summer/early autumn 1999: Mountbatten-Windsor hosts Maxwell and Epstein at Balmoral, according to a model who attended the getaway and later spoke to the Daily Mail.

• February 2000: Mountbatten-Windsor vacations at Mar-a-Lago with Maxwell before attending a fashion show in New York, according to a 2001 article in The Evening Standard.
• April 2000: Mountbatten-Windsor makes another trip to New York, where he “socialized with Ghislaine,” The Evening Standard reported.
• May 12, 2000: Flight logs again show Mountbatten-Windsor flying aboard Epstein’s private jet from New Jersey to Palm Beach, Florida, with Maxwell also on board.
• June 21, 2000: Epstein and Maxwell attend a party at Windsor Castle, partially in honor of the prince’s 40th birthday, the BBC reported.
• June 22, 2000: Mountbatten-Windsor and Maxwell are pictured attending the Royal Ascot.

• September 2000: Mountbatten-Windsor and Maxwell are pictured together at the Wiltshire wedding of the prince’s former girlfriend, Aurelia Cecil. Pictures show the two arriving at the wedding in the same car, the BBC reported.
• October 31, 2000: Mountbatten-Windsor and Maxwell were pictured together at Heidi Klum’s Halloween party in Manhattan.
• December 2000: Mountbatten-Windsor hosted Maxwell and Epstein at Sandringham for a “straightforward shooting weekend,” according to his 2019 BBC Newsnight interview.
• January 2001: Mountbatten-Windsor takes a trip to Thailand with Maxwell, The Evening Standard reported.
• March 2001: Virginia Giuffre alleged that she met Mountbatten-Windsor for the first time at Maxwell’s townhouse, in a meeting arranged by Maxwell and Epstein.

Maxwell and Epstein were believed to be dating at some point during this era. At Maxwell’s child-sex-trafficking trial in 2021, Cimberly Espinosa testified that she worked at Epstein’s company from 1996 to 2002, largely as Maxwell’s executive assistant. Espinosa said that when she first started at the company, she believed Epstein and Maxwell were dating, but she got the impression they broke up sometime in the last two years of her employment at J. Epstein and Co.

A former Buckingham Palace royal protection officer says Maxwell visited so often that he suspected she and the prince were dating

Mountbatten-Windsor and Maxwell may have started dating around 2001, according to Paul Page, a former royal protection officer who spoke for the ITV documentary.

Page said he first met Maxwell in 2001, and that Buckingham Palace staff suspected Mountbatten-Windsor and Maxwell had an “intimate relationship” by the frequency of her visits.

“From the way she was allowed to enter and exit the palace, at will, we realized … suspected that she may have had an intimate relationship with Prince Andrew,” Page said. “A colleague of mine remembered her coming in four times in one day from the morning till the evening — she kept coming in and out, in and out.”

Another source who spoke on the program was Euan Rellie, a banker who said he also became friendly with Maxwell during university.

“I got the sense that Prince Andrew and Ghislaine had probably been girlfriend and boyfriend in the past,” Rellie said in the documentary, according to the Telegraph. “They had an easy warmth around each other.”

At the time of the documentary’s release, Prince Andrew’s press office did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment on the claims.

Years later, Maxwell is behind bars, and Mountbatten-Windsor is in police custody

On Thursday, Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Earlier this month, following the release of documents from the US Justice Department’s Investigation into Epstein, the UK’s Thames Valley Police said it was looking into claims that Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential trade reports with Epstein in 2010, when Mountbatten-Windsor was a trade envoy.

He has previously denied all allegations against him. In a 2019 statement, he said, “At no stage during the limited time I spent with him did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.”

Mountbatten-Windsor has not commented publicly on the recent allegations of misconduct in office.

Hours after the arrest on Thursday, King Charles, Mountbatten-Windsor’s brother, released a statement saying, “The law must take its course.”

In their own statement, the family of Virginia Giuffre said, “Today, our broken hearts have been lifted by the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.”

• Oklahoma residents attended a meeting to discuss a proposed data center in Claremore.
• During the public comment portion, authorities arrested a man for trespassing.
• The man spoke for about 30 seconds over his allotted time.

Applause broke out during an Oklahoma man’s speech at a city council meeting on Tuesday to discuss a proposed data center. A minute later, shouts of disbelief rang out across the room.

“Disgusting!” one woman shouted as Claremore Police Department officers handcuffed and escorted Daniel Blanchard out of the room.

Authorities said they arrested Blanchard, whose speech exceeded the three-minute time limit, for trespassing.

Over 100 people, including Blanchard, had gathered in a ballroom at Rogers State University in Claremore to voice their opinions about the large data center project. The developer, Beale Infrastructure, is proposing a campus in the Claremore Industrial Park that includes data centers, supporting infrastructure, and office space.

Blanchard was among the residents who opted to speak during the public comment portion, which limits each person to three minutes. In his speech, Blanchard spoke about what he considered compliance issues related to the potential data centers.

“The Claremore Industrial Economic Development Authority has a fiduciary responsibility to the public, not to build infrastructure. And this act of overreach is putting the health and safety of members of this community at risk,” he said.

AI is driving a data center construction boom across the United States. While companies like OpenAI argue that building new data centers will reindustrialize the US economy and create jobs, residents of towns where developers are proposing new data centers worry about their impact on power grids, water resources, pollution, and overall quality of life.

In an investigation published in September, Business Insider reported that over 1,200 data centers had already been built or were approved for construction across the country.

The proposed data center in Claremore, a suburban hub of Tulsa home to about 20,000 people, has divided the town. During the three-hour meeting on Tuesday evening, dozens of residents spoke both in favor and against the project.

Blanchard exceeded his three minutes by about 30 seconds before police officers approached him. He gathered his notes and calmly followed the officers to the front of the hall, where town officials were sitting.

In a video of the meeting posted by the town on its YouTube channel, Blanchard appears to hand his notes to a council member. At that point, police arrested Blanchard, placing him in handcuffs. The crowd hollered in shock.

In a statement, the Claremore Police Department said officers aren’t responsible for enforcing city council rules and only become involved in city council meetings when an official orders them to remove an individual.

“The man’s position on the issues, what he said, or his unwillingness to follow rules of the meeting played no part in the officer’s decision to arrest him,” the statement said. “He was arrested for trespassing in compliance with the law and with the hope of restoring order to an important meeting.”

A local politician fighting the data center project posted to X on Wednesday that Blanchard has been released from jail. The next council meeting is scheduled for March 2.

• “House of the Dragon” season three will premiere in June 2026.
• The first teaser shows Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) preparing to take the Iron Throne.
• Showrunner Ryan Condal has promised “four major events that we cover from the book in season three.”

HBO was betting big on the success of “House of the Dragon” long before the season two finale.

The network renewed the Targaryen-centric “Game of Thrones” prequel for another round ahead of the second season premiere in June 2024. Francesca Orsi, HBO’s head of drama, praised the team behind the hit fantasy series in the renewal announcement, including author George R. R. Martin and showrunner Ryan Condal.

“George, Ryan, and the rest of our incredible executive producers, cast, and crew, have reached new heights with the phenomenal second season of ‘House of the Dragon,'” Orsi said in a press release. “We are in awe of the dragon-sized effort the entire team has put into the creation of a spectacular season two, with a scope and scale that is only rivaled by its heart.”

Although Martin has since stepped back from “House of the Dragon,” season three will continue to adapt his fictional history book about House Targaryen, “Fire & Blood,” and the civil war known in Westerosi lore as the Dance of the Dragons.

Here’s everything we know about season three.

‘House of the Dragon’ season 3 will premiere in June

A teaser trailer for “House of the Dragon” season three was released on Thursday, days before the first season finale of HBO’s newest hit prequel, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”

The teaser indicates that “House of the Dragon” will return in June 2026, though HBO has not set a specific premiere date.

Back in March 2025, once production had officially commenced in the UK, Condal attributed the multi-year gap between seasons to the intricate storyline and the show’s budget.

“There’s been no television show in history that ever said, ‘We have too much money and too much time to make this,'” Condal told Entertainment Weekly. “You’re always making decisions as you go along as to, how are we going to use the resources we have right now to tell the best story we can possibly tell? But I appreciate everybody’s patience.”

“House of the Dragon” veterans Clare Kilner, Andrij Parekh, and Loni Peristere will return to direct the new eight-episode arc, per EW. They’ll be joined by Nina Lopez-Corrado.

The first ‘House of the Dragon’ season 3 trailer shows Rhaenyra preparing to seize the Iron Throne

The central conflict in “House of the Dragon” is between Rhaenyra Targaryen, the eldest child and chosen heir of the late King Viserys, and her half-brother, Aegon II Targaryen, the late king’s eldest son. Fans colloquially refer to the warring siblings and their factions as “the blacks” and “the greens,” respectively.

At the end of season two, viewers saw Aegon flee from King’s Landing while his mother, Alicent Hightower, secretly colluded with Rhaenyra to give her the Iron Throne.

The season three teaser offers a glimpse into how this alliance will be received. Although Rhaenyra trusts that Alicent will keep her word to surrender, Rhaenyra’s eldest son, Jace, seems to dissuade her from the plan. Meanwhile, Alicent returns to King’s Landing to find her second son, Aemond, sitting on the Iron Throne in Aegon’s absence.

“The king has abdicated the throne,” Aemond says in a voiceover. “A new dawn is coming. A new line of unsullied kings.”

However, Alicent appears prepared to keep her word, especially knowing that Rhaenyra has recruited a group of Targaryen bastards as dragon riders. Alicent knows the greens are outnumbered, especially with Aegon missing and her daughter, Helaena, unwilling to ride her dragon into battle. It’s likely that Rhaenyra will become queen, with or without a surrender.

“Soon or late, Rhaenyra will send her new dragons here,” Alicent says in the teaser. “It would be the end.”

The season 3 plot will cover four major events from the books

We can’t say for certain what the season three plot will entail, but there’s at least one big battle on the horizon: the Battle of the Gullet.

While speaking to EW, Condal promised that season three would cover “four major events” from the source material, including the pivotal naval assault known as the Battle of the Gullet, which demands significant production resources. And to the fans who have been begging for more action, rest assured: Condal guaranteed plenty of bloodshed.

“In many ways, the Gullet has been on the minds of the production for about three years now and trying to figure out how we were going to mount it in a way that was both producible and exciting, thrilling,” Condal told EW.

“I would like to think that this is probably the most complex sequence that’s ever been done for television,” he continued, “not necessarily the most expensive or the longest shoot or anything like that, but just based on the number of moving pieces, the amount of different disciplines, media that have to be blended together to achieve success because you’re talking about sea and ships and dragons and action.”

As for the other three “major events” that Condal promised, there are plenty of historic showdowns, character debuts, and prophesied downfalls that we can predict will occur in season three based on what happens in the book, some of which have already been teased in the show. (“Fire & Blood” spoilers ahead!)

These include Rhaenyra taking over King’s Landing; Alicent’s youngest son, Daeron, finally entering the narrative; and the deaths of both Aemond and Rhaenyra’s husband, Daemon. However, “House of the Dragon” has begun to make some bold adaptation choices — so anything could be on the horizon.

“We’re cresting that narrative parabola here and starting to come down into, if not the endgame, the midpoint and getting into the late Act 2 and moving onto the start of Act 3,” Condal told EW. “Anybody that’s read that book knows that the narrative gets bigger and grimmer as it goes along, and the show has to match that ambition as best it possibly can.”

If you want a preview of what’s ahead, though, you can pick up “Fire & Blood” yourself. You’ll probably want to start somewhere in the chapter “The Dying of the Dragons: The Red Dragon and the Gold” to catch up on season two and read ahead for what may be to come.

The show’s core cast will be joined by a few newcomers

A press release from HBO confirmed the show’s big players — among them Emma D’Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon), Ewan Mitchell (Aemond Targaryen), Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon II Targaryen), Harry Collett (Jacaerys Velaryon), Bethany Antonia (Baela Targaryen), Phoebe Campbell (Rhaena Targaryen), Phia Saban (Helaena Targaryen), Sonoya Mizuno (Mysaria), Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower), and Fabien Frankel (Ser Criston Cole) — will all return for season three.

As for newcomers, “Gladiator” star Tommy Flanagan has been cast as Ser Roderick Dustin, known as “Roddy the Ruin” in the book, while “A Complete Unknown” actor Dan Fogler will play Torrhen Manderly. Both characters are formidable knights from the North, where House Stark rules.

Farther south, James Norton will make his “HOTD” debut as Ormund Hightower, Alicent’s cousin and Lord of Oldtown. The season two finale shows a glimpse of Ormund’s army marching to counter Rhaenyra’s forces accompanied by Daeron and his dragon Tessarion.

Other casting decisions have yet to be publicized. Chief among them is Daeron himself, who was sent away at a young age to squire for Ormund at Oldtown.

Condal confirmed to EW that Daeron will show up soon, but declined to say who will play him.

“He’s a big feature in the book, but if you read the book narrative sequentially, the material we’ve covered so far didn’t really have a lot of call for Daeron in it, which is why we’re getting to this now,” Condal explained.

There’s also the matter of Nettles, a character from “Fire & Blood” who claims the dragon Sheepstealer. In the season two finale of “House of the Dragon,” Rhaena finally comes across what we presume is the dragon Sheepstealer — but it remains to be seen if she successfully claims the dragon and takes over that storyline, or if Nettles will still appear.

What’s going on with King Aegon?

Aegon, also known as Aegon the Elder to book readers, suffers near-fatal injuries during season two’s battle at Rook’s Rest, leaving him mostly immobile.

In the season two finale, Lord Larys Strong arranges for Aegon to covertly escape King’s Landing in anticipation of Rhaenyra’s imminent coup. Of all the finale’s open-ended questions, Aegon’s future seems most uncertain.

The details of Aegon’s period of exile are similarly murky in “Fire & Blood” — but don’t expect him to disappear from the screen. Condal confirmed that the disgraced king will remain “a big, big part of the show.”

“He’s kind of lost to history in the sense that nobody really knows what happened,” Condal told EW. “We took that, as the writers, as a great opportunity to figure out. That was one of the great challenges of writing season two: figuring out something that would work and be satisfying, but also not cause ripple effects in the narrative and change where the other big pieces are going. Honestly, I think it’s one of the best stories that we cracked this year.”

In an interview with Business Insider, Glynn-Carney also teased a revenge-fueled journey for Aegon in season three.

“Even though his physicality has changed now, I don’t particularly think for him, in terms of how unpredictable and how volatile he is — I don’t think that’s going to change at all,” the actor said. “If anything, there will be more. So I’m really looking forward to getting back on season three, and taking him on this next chapter of his journey and really pushing the boundaries even more with him this time.”

Will ‘House of the Dragon’ end after season 3?

Nope! HBO has already confirmed that “House of the Dragon” will return for a fourth and final season.

A four-season arc has seemed like the plan for a while. Martin said on his personal blog in October 2022 that he couldn’t see “House of the Dragon” covering the entire Dance of the Dragons in fewer than four seasons.

Martin has since criticized Condal and HBO for ignoring his objections while writing season three, particularly regarding changes to the source material.

“What I would say is George introduced us to Ryan as the person that he thought would be the best to create ‘House the Dragon,'” HBO chief Casey Bloys told Deadline. “And I will say Ryan has been an excellent showrunner and a really great partner and collaborator, so we embrace his vision and his creative choices, or we wouldn’t have done it.”

Bloys said that Martin has been focused instead on “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” — aka the “Tales of Dunk and Egg” adaptation — on which he’s credited as a co-creator and co-executive producer alongside showrunner Ira Parker.

“The idea that he is going to agree with every creator or showrunner that is either developing or producing, two artists are not always going to agree,” Bloys added of Martin. “So, some of this comes with the territory.”

Palmer Haasch and Caralynn Matassa contributed to an earlier version of this story.

• I took my first solo trip when I turned 29, even though I was scared I’d be lonely on my birthday.
• Being alone in a new country felt awkward at first, but I loved the freedom to do what I wanted.
• In Cancún, I learned the importance of prioritizing my needs and doing things that bring me joy.

I’m a girl who loves her independence. Although I’m a proud extrovert, I live on my own, I like being able to get in my car and drive wherever I want, and I enjoy a good solo date.

As comfortable as I am doing things alone, though, I still prefer to celebrate really special moments with my loved ones. One of those moments is my birthday.

Unfortunately, in the weeks leading up to my 29th birthday, the stars weren’t exactly aligning in my favor. Friends either already had their schedules booked, were tied up with other responsibilities, or just didn’t respond when I asked if they were free.

I understand life is busy, but I did feel a bit sad that no one showed a lot of interest in celebrating with me. Still, one thing I’m trying to learn as I get older is that I can’t press pause on my happiness just because other people aren’t available.

Instead, I booked my very first solo trip to an all-inclusive resort in Cancún, and it ended up being exactly what I needed.

The first day felt a little uncomfortable

Shortly after I landed in Mexico, it hit me that it was my first time traveling outside the US in 24 years — and if you’ve done the math, that last time was when I was 5 years old.

Simple things like going through immigration at the airport or communicating with my driver in limited Spanish felt very new to me.

When I checked in at the resort, the gentleman helping me noticed that I’d listed my birthday as the reason for my reservation. The lady standing at the counter next to me overheard the exchange and asked if I was here on my own.

After I said yes, she told me how brave I was to celebrate alone, adding that she would never be able to do that.

Hours later, I made my way to dinner at the Mexican restaurant they had on the property — I couldn’t wait to take a bite of the chicken fajitas and tres leches cake I saw on the menu. When I got there and requested a table for one, though, I remember the hostess asking, “Oh really, it’s just you?”

I know she didn’t mean any harm, but I started feeling a little self-conscious. Was this all a mistake?

However, by the time my order arrived, I was so happy just to eat the yummy food in front of me and admire the sounds of the waterfall in the nearby courtyard that I wasn’t really concerned about what other people may have been thinking.

After all, I told myself, most people on vacation are probably too preoccupied enjoying themselves to judge anyone else.

Getting to set my own itinerary was a dream

Being on a group trip means you often have to take into consideration several other people’s opinions about what to eat, where to go, when to rest … the list goes on.

The nice thing about being at an all-inclusive alone, though, was that my trip was already somewhat planned. I just got to sit back and handpick the things I actually wanted to do — without any compromises.

Sleep in until noon? Sure. Order room service in the middle of the night? Go for it. Attend the morning sip-and-paint class? Check.

If I wanted to spontaneously take a dip in the ocean even after straightening my hair and putting on a full face of makeup, I could, and no one would stop me.

I did all of these absolutely guilt-free, because I wasn’t responsible for anyone else and nobody was waiting on me, either.

I got to catch up on so many things I was neglecting

Going on my first major solo trip made me realize I hadn’t been prioritizing all my needs.

Even though I really enjoy getting dressed up, I hadn’t been putting much time into my appearance, mainly because I work from home and not many people see me throughout the day.

Since it was my birthday week, I made an extra effort to feel pretty, and it instantly uplifted my mood.

I’m also always wishing for more time in my day to read. Although I’ve historically been a nonfiction reader, I forced myself to bring two romance novels on this vacation as a reminder that I’m allowed to read purely for fun.

I finished reading both books over the six days I was there, and have kept up the habit since returning home.

Overall, this was the first time in a long time I felt confident in living my life as I pleased, without worrying about anyone else’s thoughts or concerns.

I love the rain, and on the day of my birthday, there was a short thunderstorm. I felt a sense of childlike joy as I jumped into the lazy river while it was pouring outside.

I’d do it all again

What started as a vacation I was really nervous about turned into the trip I was most sad to leave. Traveling solo on my birthday filled my cup and desperately gave me the rest I needed.

Most of all, it also reminded me to do more things that bring me joy, even if they’re scary at first. I came back to California feeling more confident and empowered than ever.

And who knows? My 30th birthday is right around the corner, so maybe I’ll do it all over again. I think Europe’s calling my name.