• I took the Lake Express ferry across Lake Michigan from Milwaukee to Muskegon, Michigan.
• I booked the premier cabin tier for $279, but ended up driving home because I got so seasick.
• I didn't get to enjoy perks like more spacious seating or table service that came with my ticket.

As I looked up at the ceiling of the Lake Express ferry, lying on the floor while cradling a barf bag, I realized I'd made a mistake.

I grew up boating on smaller lakes around Wisconsin, so I thought I'd be fine on my ferry ride from Milwaukee to Muskegon, Michigan. After all, I was cutting my travel time in half by crossing the lake instead of driving through four states.

I didn't anticipate that as the fifth-largest lake in the world, Lake Michigan's waves can be just as powerful as the open seas. I'd splurged on a premier cabin ticket, but felt so seasick that I wasn't able to enjoy the perks.

I did enjoy some parts of the journey despite my motion sickness, but I definitely came away from the experience knowing that I'm not cut out for cruises.

Follow along on my Lake Express ferry trip across Lake Michigan.

Lake Express did not respond to a request for comment.

The Lake Express ferry transports passengers across Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Muskegon, Michigan, in half the time it takes to drive.

Instead of driving around the lake, which can take about 4 ½ to five hours, the Lake Express ferry brings passengers and their cars across the water in about 2 ½ hours.

An adult round-trip ticket starts at $199 for the classic cabin and $245 for the higher-tier premier cabin. To bring a vehicle along as well, round-trip tickets start at $236 on top of the passenger fees.

I paid a total of $279 for my round-trip premier ticket without a vehicle, including taxes and additional fees.

I arrived at the Milwaukee ferry terminal for my 6 a.m. trip to Muskegon, which was scheduled to arrive at 9:30 a.m. local time.

Michigan's eastern time zone is an hour ahead of Wisconsin. Even though the trip only took 2 ½ hours, the time difference meant we'd lose an hour on the way.

When I checked in at security, the guard handed me a motion-sickness pill. That was the first red flag.

I'd checked the National Weather Service's Great Lakes Portal and found that waves were expected to be around 1 foot high throughout the journey, which didn't sound that bad.

Receiving free motion-sickness medicine immediately upon checking in made me feel a bit concerned about how choppy the waters would actually be. I took the pill to be safe.

All passengers waited in the same area, regardless of cabin class.

Unlike the Amtrak lounges available to first-class train passengers, there was no separate waiting area for those with premier cabin ferry tickets.

The waiting area featured free coffee for all passengers, a perk not usually offered on flights or trains.

There were also drinks, snacks, and souvenirs available for purchase.

When it was time to board, the lounge led straight out onto the dock.

An announcement told those traveling with cars to board first by driving their vehicles onto the ferry.

I was surprised by how spacious the classic cabin was compared to trains and planes that I've traveled on.

The classic cabin was laid out in clusters of eight seats around two tables, with a few tables on the edges ending up with more space.

Screens around the ferry showed the route, weather, and live feed of the outside.

The screens appeared in both cabins, showing our approximately 82-mile journey across Lake Michigan.

The concession stand was located at the front of the cabin for easy access to food and drinks.

Next to the checkout counter, condiment packets and plastic utensils were available for passengers to grab for themselves.

There were even fake flower pots decorating the cabin.

The faux flowers added a whimsical touch to the ferry ride.

The premier cabin featured even more space to spread out, with four to six seats to each table.

The ferry wasn't very crowded on my trip, so I got an entire table with four seats to myself.

The cabin included a cart with more free coffee.

There was also a screen with a credit card reader to order additional concessions.

Unlike in the classic cabin, each table came with a menu to order food and drinks while seated instead of waiting in a line at the counter.

Breakfast burritos cost $10 while sandwiches and pizzas ranged from $11 to $12. There was also alcohol available for purchase, including local beers such as New Glarus Spotted Cow and Miller Lite.

Outlets seemed hard to come by in both the classic and premier cabins.

Unlike newer plane and train models that have outlets at every seat, the Lake Express ferry only had outlets every few rows.

I enjoyed watching the sunrise on the lower deck as the crew prepared for our departure.

Even while docked, the up-and-down movement of the ship on the water felt stronger than I'd anticipated. I hoped that once we started moving, the motion would feel smoother.

I explored the upper deck as the boat pulled out of the terminal, but it was too cold to stay outside for very long.

A factor that likely contributed to my impending seasickness was that it was too cold for me to sit outside on the deck in the fresh air.

In true Midwest spring fashion, it was 44 degrees on that early May morning. Strong winds over the open water made it feel even colder once we started moving. I got a little bit queasy from the sensation of the boat pitching up and down, but focusing on the horizon and feeling the wind against my face kept it from getting worse.

I lasted about half an hour outside before I got too cold and returned to the warmth of the premier cabin.

The waves felt even stronger as the trip progressed, and my seasickness became debilitating.

The Lake Express crew was clearly well-trained and used to passengers becoming seasick. As soon as they saw me looking a little green, they provided me with ginger ale, ginger chews, saltines, anti-nausea wristbands, and sickness bags.

Even though I was having a rough time, I felt well taken care of.

On the bright side, the bathrooms were spacious and clean.

The bathroom looked similar to bathrooms I'd encountered on Amtrak, with a few additional touches like decorative tile and a trash can with a weighted lid to keep it closed as the boat rocked back and forth.

I'd been excited to enjoy the luxury of my premier seat. Instead, I spent most of the journey lying on the floor with a barf bag handy.

The premier cabin where I'd booked my seat was located in the back of the ferry, where the motion of the boat was stronger. I couldn't last more than a few minutes there without feeling like I was going to throw up.

A crew member told me that lying on the floor in the middle of the boat would help me feel more like I was swinging in a hammock or rocking in a chair. It worked. Kind of.

I spent the next two hours regretting the money I'd spent on a seat I wasn't even using, for perks that I didn't feel well enough to enjoy.

Land ho! I felt better once I disembarked in Muskegon, but the nausea and dizziness lingered throughout the day.

I managed to keep a few plain applesauce packets down around lunchtime, but had no appetite to eat anything else for the rest of the day.

In Muskegon, I spent the afternoon at the USS Silversides Submarine Museum with newfound respect for the conditions that sailors endured.

The Lyft driver who drove me from the ferry terminal to the submarine museum was a US Navy veteran himself. He told me that enlisted sailors often got seasick, too, which made me feel less pathetic.

"Some people I served with were just lucky — didn't get seasick at all, ate all of their meals," he said. "And some walked around with buckets."

When it came time to return home, I couldn't bring myself to get back on the ferry. I rented a car and drove home instead.

After a few hours of fresh air and fascinating World War II history, some of the color returned to my cheeks. However, I knew if I got back on the ferry, I would immediately feel awful again. The mere thought of being tossed around by the waves on the journey home made my stomach churn.

Unfortunately, since it was less than 24 hours before my return trip, my ferry ticket home wasn't refundable.

I shelled out $123.27 for a rental car from Muskegon's tiny airport and hit the road.

The drive from Muskegon to Milwaukee took about 4 ½ hours, but it was worth it to me.

The route took me down the Michigan coast, across Indiana and Illinois, and back up into Wisconsin, totaling around 300 miles.

I returned my rental car in Milwaukee and resolved to appreciate Lake Michigan's beauty from its shores in the future.

About one in three people experience motion sickness, and genetics are a determining factor, according to a 2015 study published in the Oxford University Press' Human Molecular Genetics.

The simple truth is that some people get seasick and some don't, and I do. Even though I took motion sickness medicine ahead of the trip, it wasn't effective enough to quell my symptoms.

If you're one of those lucky people who doesn't get seasick, the Lake Express ferry is a great option to cut across Lake Michigan for a shorter, more scenic trip than driving.

If you're a landlubber like me, learn from my mistakes. Don't spring for the more expensive cabin. Check the weather and wave heights ahead of time. And keep your options open for your return trip in case you end up on the floor.

• Michael O'Leary is set for a 100 million euro windfall if Ryanair stock stays above 21 euros for a month.
• It's been there for 17 days, and rose again on Monday after reporting earnings.
• Ryanair's profits fell 16%, but passenger numbers were up and a big share buyback was approved.

The CEO of Europe's biggest airline is set for another shot at one of the continent's biggest windfalls.

Ryanair's Michael O'Leary stands to receive stock options worth 100 million euros ($113 million) if the Irish budget carrier's share price trades above 21 euros for 28 days.

The stock has done well recently, staying above that price since May 2. It added another 3.3% in Dublin on Monday to just over 23 euros, valuing the company at more than 24 billion euros ($27 billion.)

While it spent a few days at this level last March and April, this is O'Leary's most promising rally yet.

In Monday's full-year earnings, Ryanair reported profits of 1.61 billion euros — a 16% fall compared with the previous 12 months.

While it reached a record 200 million passengers, tickets were 7% cheaper. O'Leary cited consumer spending pressure and "a big drop off" in bookings from online travel agents, following a dispute with them.

The airline also warned growth would slow due to delayed deliveries of Boeing planes. Having fewer planes than expected also meant that staffing costs were 17% higher this past financial year.

Ryanair also announced a share buyback worth 750 million euros.

Analysts at Peel Hunt said the airline traded at a "significant premium" to its peers and they maintained a "hold" rating with a target price of 21.50 euros.

The Financial Times previously reported that O'Leary's bonus deal was supposed to expire last year before being extended until 2028.

The potentially enormous payout isn't without its controversies, as Ryanair is known for its ancillary fees of up to three figures for changing a name or for hold baggage. The airline is getting rid of paper boarding passes later this year, however.

Such fees allow it to keep airfares as low as $20, but on some routes, tickets can still cost hundreds of euros.

When The Wall Street Journal asked about the potentially huge payout in an interview last year, the Ryanair chief gave a characteristically outspoken response.

"If premiership footballers are earning fucking 20 million a year and [Kylian] Mbappé is being paid 130 million to go play football for fucking Real Madrid, then I think my contract is very good value for Ryanair shareholders," O'Leary quipped.

• Incat launched the world's largest electric ship — the biggest EV ever built — this month.
• Electric vessels are only suited to routes of less than 200 miles, Incat's founder told Business Insider.
• Demand is rising, but scaling up production poses a major challenge for Incat, Robert Clifford said.

Electric shipping has reached a major milestone, but long-haul routes remain a distant dream.

This month Australian shipbuilder Incat launched Hull 096, a 427-foot fully electric ferry built for South American operator Buquebus.

The vessel, now docked in Hobart, Tasmania, is the largest electric vehicle ever built. It is designed to carry 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles across the Río de la Plata between Buenos Aires and Uruguay and is powered by about 275 tons of batteries.

Incat's chairman and founder, Robert Clifford, said ships like Hull 096 are still best suited for short distances — not the open ocean.

Density dilemma

"There's not the slightest doubt that under 50 miles, electric will be virtually 100%," Clifford told Business Insider. "When you're talking 200 miles, it might only be 50%. Over that, it'd be zero at the moment."

He said the main issue was the limited energy density of batteries, which still don't offer the same storage capacity per weight and volume as fossil fuels.

That's why Incat is focusing on ferries for high-density, relatively short routes like those in the English Channel or the Baltic Sea instead of oceangoing ships.

"We're ferry boat builders," Clifford said. "Even a very large ferry for most routes would not go over about 160 meters."

Still, Clifford believes Hull 096 marks a turning point for clean maritime transport.

"The ship changes the game," he said in a press release earlier this month. "We've been building world-leading vessels here in Tasmania for more than four decades, and Hull 096 is the most ambitious, most complex, and most important project we've ever delivered."

The ferry boasts a 40 megawatt-hour battery — the largest installed on a ship — feeding eight waterjets designed by Finnish firm Wärtsilä.

The interior, which includes a 2,300-square-meter duty-free shopping deck, is set to be completed this year ahead of trials on Tasmania's Derwent River.

Buquebus had originally commissioned Hull 096 as a liquid natural gas-powered ferry, but Incat convinced the company to go electric.

And while Clifford is bullish on the tech, he said real-world adoption depends on port infrastructure and customer readiness. "We simply need the shipowner to do their sums."

He said there's been strong demand since Hull 096's launch and was in talks with a dozen "serious" clients from Europe and South America.

"I've been in this entrepreneurial business for 30-odd years, and we've never had so many serious potential orders," he said.

Growth challenge

Still, scaling production in Tasmania is a massive leap. "We've been building one or two boats a year," Clifford said. "Building four or more large boats a year is a massive increase in the size of the company," which would require going from 500 to 3,000 staff, he said.

"That's today's challenge — how do we transition to a significant shipbuilder?"

Whether Tasmania becomes a global hub for electric shipbuilding remains to be seen.

William "Boeing, for instance, had a small shipyard in Seattle," Clifford said. "It probably wasn't the best place in the world to start building airplanes. But he did, and then he sold 100 to the US Army.

"He suddenly went from a small boat builder to a leading aircraft manufacturer all in a period of about a year or two. That sort of challenge is ahead of us."

• The Chevrolet Traverse is a midsize three-row family SUV that was redesigned in 2024.
• I was impressed by its advanced tech, cavernous interior, good value, and rugged truck-like looks.
• Sadly, the Chevy was let down by its cheap-feeling interior and noisy, laggy powertrain.

The market for midsize family SUVs is booming, accounting for roughly 15% of all auto sales in the US.

Chevrolet's entry into the segment for the past 15 years has been the Traverse, which received a ground-up redesign for 2024 that included fresh styling, a new turbo four-cylinder engine, and GM's latest suite of tech features.

I recently drove a 2025 Chevrolet Traverse in its luxury-minded High Country trim to see how it holds up against segment leaders like the Honda Pilot and Toyota Grand Highlander. I came away impressed by the Chevy's assistance and infotainment tech, cavernous interior, and rugged truck-like looks.

The Michigan-made Chevy Traverse starts at $40,700.

My range-topping Traverse High Country test car starts at $53,800 in front wheel drive guise.

Shipping fees pushed the as-tested price for my High Country FWD to $55,295.

The Traverse is handsomely styled with design elements inspired by Chevrolet's Silverado pickup.

Like other recently introduced Chevy SUVs, the Traverse draws upon the brand's popular pickup trucks for its rugged, squared off looks. It's a much welcome departure from the previous generation's rounded, less defined aesthetic.

At 17 feet long and 6.6 feet wide, the Traverse is one of the largest offerings in the segment.

It's three inches longer and 1.5 inches wider than the Grand Highlander and four inches longer and 1.5 inches wider than the Pilot.

Chevy's new turbo four produces a stout 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque, making it one of the most powerful standard engines in the segment.

The four-cylinder offers a modest 18 horsepower improvement over the outgoing V6 and a significant 60 additional lb-ft of torque.

My front wheel drive test car boasts EPA fuel economy rating of 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined, which is a 2 mpg improvement over the comparable previous generation Traverse with a V6.

The Traverse's driving experience was spoiled by excessive engine noise and a drivetrain tuned to save fuel.

The Traverse has the potential to be a pleasant driving family SUV.

Sadly, the big Chevy is let down by the way its drivetrain is tuned. A big reason for downsizing from the V6 to the turbo four was to take advantage of its superior fuel economy, but there's also the added benefit produced by forced induction engines.

Unfortunately, the Traverse's drivetrain prioritizes efficiency and doesn't really let the punchy motor shine. In its default "Tour" driving mode, the throttle feels laggy and slow to respond. There's often an unnerving delay between the time you step on the gas and the arrival of power. Things are a bit more responsive in sport mode, but still far from "sporty."

According to Car and Driver, the turbo Traverse can do 0-60 in a respectable 7.3 seconds, which is half a second slower than the old V6-powered version.

And then there's the engine noise. Under hard acceleration, the decided lack of sound-deadening material means the pint-size powerplant makes an unacceptably harsh racket. Even when cruising along, a disconcerting amount of engine noise manages to find its way into the cabin.

The Traverse's cabin is roomy and attractively designed, but is plagued by poor material and build quailty.

Climb inside the Traverse and you'll find a modern and extremely spacious cabin. Ergonomics are solid and almost all of the controls and button are where they should be with the only glaring exception being the drive mode selector buried on a panel low down between the steering wheel and driver's door.

My biggest gripe with the cabin is the lackluster material and build quality. The plastics used in the front dash and center console look and feel cheap. In addition, the pieces also don't feel very well put together. Lightly nudge the center console, and visible gaps appear in the seams where the various sections are clipped together. The two sections that comprise the front and rear of the housing for the large infotainment screen pinch easily and feel like they're a broken plastic clip away from separating.

The Traverse's suite of driver assistance and infotainment tech is truly impressive.

The massive 17.7-inch central infotainment touchscreen and 11-inch digital instrument display are not only impressive to look at but the Google-based infotainment system is also highly responsive and easy to navigate.

In addition to the standard driver assistance features like adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist, the Traverse can also be optioned with GM's outstanding Super Cruise system, which allows for hands-free highway driving.

The Traverse comes standard with second-row captain's chairs, although lower trims can be had with a bench seat as well.

The heated Sky Cool Gray leather captain's chairs were comfortable and stylish.

The Traverse's third row is quite possibly the roomiest I've come across and could actually be comfortable for the average adult.

Beyond the impressive 32.1 inches of legroom, the seats are also mounted high enough so that your knees are not pushing up against your chest.

With 22.9 cubic feet behind the third row seats, the Traverse is one of the best cargo haulers in the segment.

Fold down the power operated second and third row seats, cargo capacity grows to nearly 98 cubic feet.

My verdict: The Chevrolet Traverse is rough around the edges but remains a compelling family SUV with cool tech, a cavernous interior, and delivers solid value.

Chevy's family hauler comes with loads of advanced assistance and infotainment tech, a punchy turbo engine, room for the whole family and all of their stuff, as well as cool pickup-truck styling.

In addition, the $40,000 starting price and extensive array of standard features make it a solid value proposition.

But the Traverse still needs extra sound insulation, some drivetrain tuning, and a higher-quality interior.

If those are fixed, the Chevrolet Traverse would be able to compete with anything in the segment.

• Volkswagen has turned to Tesla rival Rivian to fix its software woes.
• The companies sealed a $5 billion partnership in 2024, with Rivian providing tech for VW's new EV.
• A Rivian exec told BI the nearly 100-year-old German automaker had embraced Rivian's "startup DNA."

Rivian and Volkswagen's partnership has injected the nearly 100-year-old German automaker with a dose of "startup DNA", according to one of the Tesla rival's top executives.

The two companies struck a $5 billion deal last year to form a joint venture to develop next-generation EV technology, and Rivian's chief software officer told Business Insider that he was impressed by how willing the legacy carmaker had been to change its culture and embrace the startup's Silicon Valley vibes.

"One of the reasons we really leaned in heavily into the partnership was the willingness of the Volkswagen leadership to change culture within the group," said Wassym Bensaid, who also serves as co-CEO of the joint venture.

"They were willing to adopt a much more agile, iterative, innovative approach to the entire development lifecycle, and keep the startup DNA that Rivian brings," the executive added.

The partnership will see software and electrical architecture developed by Rivian appear in a range of Volkswagen vehicles, including a $22,500 electric car VW unveiled in March.

Like other legacy automakers, the historic German brand has struggled to develop vehicle software that can match the kind of high-tech features offered by Tesla and Chinese rivals like BYD.

Volkswagen's in-house software division, Cariad, has faced delays and high-profile glitches despite burning through billions of dollars.

The failure to develop advanced software has proved particularly damaging in China, where consumers have come to expect EVs packed with AI-powered features such as voice control, autonomous driving, and even in-car karaoke.

Volkswagen's sales collapsed nearly 10% in China in 2024 compared to the previous year.

Speaking on the sidelines of The Financial Times' Future of the Car conference, Bensaid said the challenges Volkswagen has faced were far from unique.

"The same problem that we need to solve for Volkswagen exists in pretty much every single traditional automaker," he said.

Bensaid added that building software-defined vehicles would require legacy carmakers to undergo "deep cultural change" and become flatter and less hierarchical, whilst also hiring "very different talent."

"You need very different engineers who know how to build things and not just engineers who manage third-party suppliers in a black-box way," he said.

Bensaid said many carmakers would likely find it easier to follow Volkswagen's lead and license software from tech-focused companies like Rivian, adding that he expects tech licensing to become a much bigger part of the EV startup's business in the next few years.

"Volkswagen as a company tried to basically make the pivot and get to a software-defined vehicle. And they ended up concluding that a partnership [with Rivian] could be a great way to achieve that," Bensaid said.

• Trump's tariff reversal on Chinese goods has complicated the math for US importers.
• A week ago, delaying duty payments seemed smart — now, it may make sense to pay early.
• And then there's the issue of what to do with the surges of arriving inventory.

Just when US importers were starting to make sense of President Donald Trump's 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, the negotiator-in-chief changed the deal again.

Now, with the plans on pause and current import tariffs dropping down from 145% to 30% for China, importers are having to rethink how — and when — they bring goods into the US, according to Ben Dean, VP at warehousing network Flexe.

Tariffs are indeed a lot lower than they were last week, but they're still far higher than they have been for years, and there's no clear answers about which way they'll go in the next 90 days or beyond.

All of that has importers looking at an even wider menu of warehousing and transportation options than they were just a short while ago — if they're not biting the bullet and paying the tariffs outright.

Before Monday's announcement, the 145% tariffs on Chinese goods made for rather simple (if unpleasant) decision-making, since they were so high they effectively blocked all but the most essential products from crossing the Pacific.

For goods that were already en route, many businesses turned to a specialized type of storage facility, known as a bonded warehouse. These facilities allow importers to park their goods duty-free for up to five years, and only pay the tariff charge that is in effect at the time they accept their inventory.

"By holding the goods under bond, there's the possibility that they might pay at a lower rate," Dean said in a previous interview with Business Insider.

In a follow-up interview after the tariffs fell to 30%, Dean told BI that, as expected, interest in bonded warehousing has fallen precipitously — though not entirely.

Now, he said there's more interest in foreign-trade zones.

FTZs are somewhat similar to bonded facilities in the sense that they allow importers to delay payment of tariffs, but the key difference is that FTZ lock in the tariff rate at the time of arrival, rather than when the items leave the facility and officially enter the US.

"Should we not make progress on a formal agreement and in 91 days, rates shoot up again, that is a risk," Dean said.

At least now, "there's an upside risk, which we didn't have" before, he said.

Dean also said demand is up for trains and short-haul trucks, while long-haul trucking rates are comparatively down — an indication importers are trying to slow the roll of previously rushed inventory.

"The need for speed has gone away, and slower and more economical transportation modes are now coming into high demand," he said.

In other words, importers who brought inventory in ahead of tariffs are using the country's hundreds of miles of train tracks instead of actual warehouses to effectively hold their merchandise until it comes time to sell it.

For the impending surge of new shipments — container bookings are up nearly 300% between the US and China this week — Dean said there is ample warehouse capacity to receive it.

"The ports are trying to get their things in order to make sure that that surge can get off the ship," he said. "And everybody's seeking to avoid any kind of headline event like we had off the Port of Long Beach during the peak of COVID," when massive backlogs on the docks kept container ships lingering at anchor for weeks.

Even so, there could still be some capacity challenges at the West Coast ports in the coming weeks.

"We are — in real time — changing the economics of the cost of inventory," Dean said. "We're getting this real pilot to see what happens to our supply chain domestically when that happens."

• Norwegian Cruise Line has been leading the solo cruise travel boom.
• Its new ship, Norwegian Aqua, has 93 single-person cabins with access to a shared lounge.
• The cruise line added 1,000 of these increasingly popular staterooms to its fleet in 2024.

Norwegian's latest ship, Norwegian Aqua, is floating bait for cruising families. It also wants to attract the opposite demographic: solo travelers.

In recent years, Norwegian has emerged as the leader of the solo cruise boom, adding about 1,000 single-person cabins to its fleet in 2024.

For the company, it's a great money-making opportunity: 10% of cruisers from US ports go alone, with millennials and Gen Zers most likely to cruise solo, according to the trade group Cruise Lines International Association.

For solo cruisers, it's a great money-saving opportunity: Many cruise lines charge independent travelers a "single supplement" fee to compensate for lost revenue on double occupancy cabins. In some cases, this additional expense can double the cost to sail.

That is, unless they stay in one of Norwegian's solo staterooms.

Norwegian Aqua launched in March with 93 single-person cabins.

The new 4,482-guest vessel is spending the summer operating weeklong Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida. These "studio" accommodations are already sold out for a third of these voyages, with the least expensive remaining options starting at about $1,880 — about $560 cheaper than a traditional inside cabin with the single supplement fee.

That's almost $270 per day for a windowless 94-square-foot cabin.

Of the 93 options, 73 are what Norwegian affectionally call "studios."

It's a fitting name for a tiny cabin, but don't let its 94-square-footage footprint fool you. It still has all the necessities of a cruise stateroom, including a twin bed sandwiched between a wall-mounted TV and a storage unit.

You'll only have to walk a few steps to the bathroom.

The bathroom is similarly tight with surprisingly ample shelving.

Bring your conditioner — the cabin only provides body wash and shampoo.

There's no additional seating, save for the backless desk stool. However, it does come with access to a shared living room.

Solo cruisers can mingle with other lone wolves at the Studio Lounge, accessible only to those staying in single-person cabins.

The multi-section space has plenty of lounge seating, from chaises to shared couches. It also serves a small breakfast buffet, in addition to coffee and snacks throughout the day.

Not all who are alone at sea have to be lonely.

• Boeing secured a record-breaking $96 billion order from Qatar Airways during Donald Trump's trip.
• It was one of several wins this week, showing the planemaker is recovering from a troubling 2024.
• Trump's support came after tensions over Air Force One delays and concerns over a Qatari gift.

Boeing showed it's bouncing back from its turmoil as it won several victories from Donald Trump's trip to the Middle East.

On Wednesday, Qatar Airways agreed to buy at least 160 Boeing jets, in a deal the White House valued at $96 billion. It is the planemaker's largest-ever order for wide-body aircraft.

While the two CEOs signed certificates and shook hands, Trump and the Emir of Qatar applauded from behind the ornate desk. The president gave Boeing's Kelly Ortberg a pat on the back.

It's rare to see heads of state attend aircraft-order ceremonies. Trump's show of support for Boeing was a notable turn from the tensions between the two over delays in building the next Air Force One.

Receiving such a huge vote of confidence from an industry-leading airline is also a significant boost, especially since the order includes 30 Boeing 777X planes and options for dozens more.

The 777X is yet to be certified, running years behind schedule, meaning Qatar's order is a big show of faith in Boeing's future. Flight tests for the 777X had to be paused last August after damage was found on a key structure.

Several customers, including the largest, Emirates, voiced their frustrations after Ortberg then announced its launch would be further pushed back to 2026.

However, Qatar Airways has never dwelt on the delays. "Let us not cry over spilled milk," CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer told Business Insider last July.

Boeing is also likely to benefit from Tuesday's defense deal with Saudi Arabia, which the White House called "the largest defense-sales agreement in history," at roughly $142 billion.

These are all significant signs that the planemaker hasn't lost too much of its reputation after an ignominious 2024.

The year began with a door plug falling off a 737 Max in midair. Regulators subsequently capped Boeing's production as it works to overhaul its processes.

This week has seen progress here, too, as Boeing said it delivered 45 commercial planes last month — almost double the number in the same period last year.

Trump's change of heart

Even before Qatar Airways' order, planes were dominating the headlines around Trump's trip.

The president said Monday he would be "stupid" to turn down the Qatari royal family's proposed gift of a Boeing 747.

It has raised ethical and legal concerns, with politicians on both sides of the aisle questioning the gift. The luxurious $400 million plane would be one of the most expensive gifts ever received by the government from another country.

The timing may also raise questions about Qatar's motivation for announcing the mammoth Boeing order during Trump's visit, rather than at next month's Paris Air Show.

Trump wants the 747 to serve as Air Force One because Boeing is running years behind schedule in building the next presidential jet. He renegotiated the contract in his first term, and the planemaker has since lost billions on the project.

In February, Trump showed his frustration with the delays by touring a Qatari Boeing 747 in Palm Beach — believed to be the one now on offer.

So, his support for Boeing in Qatar shows a change of heart that will likely please the planemaker and help settle any apprehension over Air Force One.

The country's top exporter, Boeing, was also under threat from Trump's tariff plans.

Jets destined for Chinese airlines had to be sent back across the Pacific Ocean after they refused to accept them due to the trade war. On Monday, China and the US agreed to lower tariffs by 115%.

But overall, that may not be as valuable as the reputation boost provided during Trump's trip.

This week has helped the storied planemaker prove that it's moving on from the woes of 2024.

• Waymo's robotaxis have been providing fully autonomous rides to the SF public since 2024.
• Tesla is gearing up to launch a robotaxi service in Austin, using its Full-Self Driving software.
• Tesla's FSD is good, but it made one mistake we just can't overlook.

The robotaxi race is speeding up.

Tesla is preparing to debut its autonomous ride-hailing service in Austin next month, and Alphabet's Waymo continues to expand throughout major US cities.

Under the hood of the Tesla and Waymo robotaxis are two key pieces of technology that the companies respectively call Full Self-Driving (FSD) and the Waymo Driver.

We (Business Insider's Lloyd Lee and Alistair Barr) tested both of these AI-powered drivers in San Francisco — and the results truly surprised us.

Given the positive experiences we've had with Waymo and Tesla's FSD, we expected the results of our not-so-scientific test to come down to minute details — maybe by how many times the AI-driver would hesitate or if it would make a curious lane change for no apparent reason.

That didn't happen. Instead, the Tesla made an egregious error that handed Waymo the clear win.

Here's how it went down.

The test

Our vehicles for the test included Waymo's Jaguar I-PACE SUVs and Barr's personal 2024 Tesla Model 3.

The Waymo robotaxis are equipped with the company's fifth-generation Waymo Driver and guided by five lidar sensors, six radars, and 29 cameras.

Barr's Tesla was equipped with Hardware 4 and FSD Supervised software v13.2.8. Tesla released a minor update to the software days after this test was conducted. The vehicle has eight external cameras.

It should be noted that this is not the same software Tesla plans to use in the robotaxis set to roll out this summer. The company said it plans to release FSD Unsupervised, a self-driving system that will not require a human behind the wheel. Nevertheless, we wanted to see how far Tesla's FSD had come since its beta rollout in 2020.

We couldn't compare Tesla and Waymo as a full-package robotaxi service. Tesla has yet to launch that product, so we focused only on the driving experience.

We started at San Francisco's iconic Twin Peaks viewpoint and ended at Chase Center. Depending on the route, that's about a 4- to 7-mile ride.

We chose these destinations for two reasons. One, it would take the cars through winding roads and both suburban and city landscapes. And two, there were a few ways to get to Chase Center from Twin Peaks, including the 280 highway.

Waymo's robotaxis can't take riders on the highway yet. Tesla can.

According to Google Maps, the highway is more time-efficient. For the Tesla, we went with the route the vehicle highlighted first. It pointed out the highway on the way back to Twin Peaks.

We took a Waymo around 8:30 a.m. on a Thursday and the Tesla afterward at around 10 a.m. The traffic conditions for both rides were light to moderate and not noticeably different.

Predictions

Our prediction was that the AI drivers' skills would be nearly neck-and-neck.

But in the spirit of competition, Lee predicted Waymo would deliver a smoother experience and a smarter driver, given the high-tech sensor stack the company relies on.

Barr went with Tesla. He said he'd driven hundreds of miles on FSD with two or three relatively minor interventions so far, and given this previous experience, Barr said he'd have no problem riding in the back seat of a Tesla robotaxi.

Waymo

Throughout our ride in the Waymo, we were impressed by the AI driver's ability to be safe but assertive.

The Waymo was not shy about making yellow lights, for example, but it never made maneuvers you wouldn't want a robot driver you're entrusting your life with to make.

One small but notable moment in our ride was when the Waymo stopped behind a car at a stop sign. To the right of us was an open lane.

For whatever reason, the Waymo saw that and decided to switch lanes, as if it was tired of waiting behind the other car. We found that a bit amusing because it seemed like such a human moment.

As human drivers, we might make choices like that because we get antsy waiting behind another car, even though we're not shaving more than a few seconds, if any, off of our commute.

Barr noted that the Waymo Driver can have moments of sass or attitude. It had an urgency, giving us the feeling that it somehow really cared that we got to the Chase Center in good time.

"It's got New York cab driver energy," Barr said, stealing a line from BI editor in chief Jamie Heller, who also took a Waymo during a trip to San Francisco earlier this year.

Sandy Karp, a spokesperson for Waymo, said the company doesn't have specific details on what happened in that moment but said that the Waymo Driver "is constantly planning its next move, including the optimal route to get its rider where they're going safely and efficiently."

"This planning can involve decisions like changing lanes when deemed favorable," she said.

Ultimately, though, the best litmus test for any robotaxi is when you stop noticing that you're in a robotaxi.

Outside those small but notable moments, we recorded footage for this story and chatted in comfort without feeling like we were on the edge of our seats.

Tesla

Tesla's FSD delivered a mostly smooth driving experience, and we think it deserves some props for doing so with a smaller and cheaper tech stack, i.e., only eight cameras.

FSD knew how to signal a lane change as it approached a large stalled vehicle taking up a lot of road room, and it didn't have any sudden moments of braking. Just a few years ago, Tesla owners were reporting issues of "phantom braking." We experienced none of that on our drive.

Tesla also handled highway driving flawlessly. Sure, the weather was clear and traffic was fairly light, but, as noted earlier, Waymo does not yet offer public rides on highways. The company is still testing.

However, Tesla FSD did make a few mistakes, including one critical error.

At the end of our drive at Chase Center, we assessed how Waymo and Tesla's systems performed. We both gave Waymo a slight edge, but were also impressed with the FSD system.

On our way back to Twin Peaks, Tesla highlighted a route that would take us on the highway — a route that Waymo cannot take. We kept Tesla FSD on for this trip while we continued recording.

San Francisco is known to have a lot of brightly marked, green bike lanes for cyclists. There was one moment during the trip back when the Tesla made a right turn onto a bike lane and continued to drive on it for a few seconds before it merged into the proper lane.

Then, as we approached the last half-mile of our ride, the Tesla, for an unknown reason, ran a red light.

The incident occurred at a fairly complex intersection that resembles a slip-lane intersection, but with a traffic light. The Waymo did not approach this intersection since it took a different route to get back to Twin Peaks.

The Tesla's console screen showed how the car detected the red light and came to a dutiful stop. Then, despite the traffic light not changing, the Tesla drove ahead.

We didn't come close to hitting any cars or humans on the street — Tesla's FSD is good at spotting such risks, and the main source of traffic coming across our path had been stopped by another traffic light. However, the vehicle slowly drove through this red light, which left us both somewhat shocked at the time.

Some Tesla drivers appeared to have reported similar issues in online forums and in videos that showed the vehicle recognizing the red light but driving ahead. One YouTuber showed how the Tesla first came to a stop at a red light and then continued driving before the light changed.

It's unclear how common this issue is. Tesla hasn't publicly addressed the problem.

A spokesperson for Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

At this point, we thought the winner was clear.

Verdict

Since Tesla's FSD made a critical error that would have landed an automatic fail during a driver's license test, we thought it was fair to give Waymo the win for this test.

The Tesla handled San Francisco's hilly and winding roads almost as flawlessly as Waymo.

We also think FSD's ability to handle routes that Waymo can't handle for now — in particular, the highway — would give Tesla a major upper hand.

In addition, when Lee tried on a different day to make the Waymo go through the same intersection where the Tesla blew the red light, the Waymo app appeared to do everything it could to avoid that intersection, even if it provided the quickest path to get to the destination, according to Google Maps.

A Waymo spokesperson did not provide a comment on what could've happened here.

Still, an error like running a red light cannot be overlooked when human lives are at stake. Consider that when Tesla rolls out its robotaxi service, a human driver will not be behind the wheel to quickly intervene if it makes an error.

For Tesla and Waymo, we expected to be on the lookout for small, almost negligible, mistakes or glitchy moments from the AI driver. We did not anticipate an error as glaring as running a red light.

Once Tesla launches its robotaxi service in more areas, we'll have to see how the pick-up and drop-off times compare.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the company's generalized solution to self-driving is far superior to its competitors. The company has millions of cars already on the roads collecting massive amounts of real-world data. According to Musk, this will make FSD smarter and able to operate with only cameras.

With Tesla's robotaxi service set to launch in June with human passengers, we certainly hope so.

• Tesla plans to debut its robotaxi service in Austin next month.
• The company told a Morgan Stanley analyst that the launch is still a "go."
• The service, however, will be invite-only and have "plenty of tele-ops," an analyst said.

Tesla's robotaxi debut in Austin will be invite-only and have a lot of teleoperators, Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas said.

During a recent visit to Tesla's Palo Alto office, the analyst got details on what the EV company's robotaxi launch will look like.

"Austin's a 'go' but fleet size will be low," Jonas wrote in a note published Friday. "Think 10 to 20 cars."

Tesla said in an April 22 earnings call that the "pilot launch" will have a limited fleet.

The analyst also wrote that the robotaxis will operate on public roads, that the service will be invite-only, and that there will be many teleoperators on hand.

"Public roads. Invite only. Plenty of tele-ops to ensure safety levels ("we can't screw up")," Jonas wrote. "Still waiting for a date."

In the context of robotaxis, teleoperators often mean that a remote employee can take some level of control of the vehicle, typically when the autonomous driver gets stuck.

That's different from how companies like Waymo or Zoox handle tricky driving scenarios.

While both companies have remote human workers on hand, an employee can never take control of the vehicle's steering or pedals.

When a vehicle gets stuck, the remote workers can either suggest a path to take or provide more information regarding the vehicle's environment so the autonomous driver can figure out how to get out of the situation.

One example Waymo published on YouTube included a scenario when an emergency vehicle blocks a robotaxi's path.

A remote worker will answer a question such as, "Is the emergency vehicle blocking all indicated lanes?" This will provide more environmental context for the autonomous driver to make a decision.

Remote-controlled cars

It's unclear how much control Tesla's teleoperators will have over the robotaxis for the Austin debut.

Business Insider's Grace Kay previously reported there had been discussion around using remote operators as safety drivers for the launch, citing two people familiar with the matter.

A job listing from Tesla for a software engineer on the "Teleoperation team" says that, as the company iterates on the AI that powers the cars and robots, it will "need the ability to access and control them remotely."

The autonomous driving community is debating how safe teleoperations are for a robotaxi service.

While there's an industry-wide consensus on the need for human operators to monitor robotaxis and help with rare edge cases, some industry experts argue that a vehicle that can be fully remotely controlled has safety pitfalls.

Ex-Waymo CEO John Krafcik, who is highly skeptical of Tesla's robotaxi proposition, previously told Business Insider that there are "safety risks" to teleoperations.

One study by a team of researchers at Coventry University's Centre for Future Transport and Cities found that even a 300- to 500-millisecond latency, or around half a second, can challenge a teleoperator's ability to control the vehicle even at slow speeds.

Jonas and a Tesla spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Tesla's highly anticipated robotaxi launch has seen a lot of delays.

CEO Elon Musk has said several times that full autonomy and robotaxis were around the corner, only for him to miss his own deadline.

In 2019, Musk said Tesla would have over 1 million robotaxis by the end of the following year. That never materialized.

"I always bite off more than I chew," he wrote in an X post in 2023, "then sit there with puffed out cheeks like a squirrel that ate too much."

• Delta Air Lines is rebranding its ticket categories and nixing basic economy.
• The affordable tickets have been renamed Delta Main Basic.
• Delta says the changes will provide more choice and clarity for customers.

Delta Air Lines is saying goodbye to basic economy — but don't worry, it's not actually going anywhere.

The airline on Thursday announced a rebranding of many of its fare categories, including an end to the "basic economy" moniker. The tickets will now be known as Delta Main Basic as part of a three-tier economy class — basic, classic, and extra — each with varying mileage accumulations, boarding groups, and flexibility for changes.

Delta Comfort+ has also been renamed Delta Comfort, while First Class is now Delta First. Delta Premium Select and Delta One remain unchanged. These four categories will each have classic and extra tiers, giving a grand total of 11 cost options to get from point A to point B.

The new names will give flyers "more choice and greater clarity," Delta said.

Main Basic will keep the familiar benefits (or lack thereof): seats not assigned until check-in, the lowest boarding priority, no miles, no bags, and cancellation fees with only partial credit refunds. It's a stark difference from the highest Extra economy ticket, which includes seat selection, earlier boarding, more points than the mid-tier, and a full refund.

Delta and most of its competitors first introduced basic economy fares around 2012 to compete with low-cost carriers like Spirit and Southwest. Despite their restrictions, they've proven a hit with budget-conscious travelers.

But lately, premium seats have been the money makers for airlines as they face a downturn in ticket sales. In late 2024, Delta President Glen Hauenstein told investors that the company is seeing more demand for premium than economy seats. As such, it's focusing additional capacity on these more expensive tickets, a strategy it hopes will triumph over budget carriers.

• Global EV sales surged 29% in the first four months of the year, led by China and Europe.
• North America posted growth of just 5% according to data from Rho Motion.
• China's 35% sales boost was driven by trade-in schemes, while EV sales jumped in Europe too.

EV sales are booming globally — but growth in North America lags the rest of the world.

Global EV sales jumped 29% to 5.6 million in the first four months of the year compared with the same period in 2024, according to data released Wednesday by EV research firm Rho Motion.

In April alone, 1.5 million EVs were sold worldwide.

However, EV sales in North America — the US, China, and Mexico — rose by just 5%, or 600,000 vehicles. Battery electric vehicle sales in the region rose 7%, while plug-in hybrid sales increased only 1%.

Tesla sold 128,100 vehicles in the US in the first quarter of the year, down 8.6% from the same time last year and 21% lower than 2023, per Cox Automotive data.

It remains the biggest EV brand despite its market share falling from 51% to 44% over the past year.

Mexico, meanwhile, was a bright spot, with EV sales nearly doubling. Unlike their American counterparts, Mexican drivers can buy Chinese-made vehicles.

In Europe, stricter emissions targets pushed sales up 25%, with growth of more than 40% in countries including Italy, Spain, and Germany.

"The EU is certainly the success story for EV sales in 2025 so far," said Charles Lester, data manager at Rho Motion.

"In China, that year-on-year sales increase is even greater at 35%, spurred on by the vehicle trade-in scheme."

• Tesla has announced that longtime Chipotle executive Jack Hartung will join the EV giant's board.
• Hartung served as CFO of the fast-food chain for 22 years before becoming president last year.
• Tesla's board has faced scrutiny over a report that it began searching for a new CEO to replace Elon Musk.

Tesla has tapped a veteran Chipotle executive to be the newest member of its board of directors.

Jack Hartung, who served as CFO of the Mexican fast-food chain for 22 years, will join Tesla's board in June, the automaker announced on Friday.

Hartung moved from CFO to president and chief strategy officer of Chipotle last year, following the departure of CEO Brian Niccol to lead Starbucks.

Tesla said he would retire from his executive role on June 1st but would remain a senior advisor to Chipotle.

Hartung will also be a member of the board's audit committee, Tesla said.

Hartung becomes the ninth member of Tesla's board, which is chaired by Robyn Denholm and also includes Elon Musk, his brother Kimbal, and Airbnb cofounder Joe Gebbia.

It comes as the board, which traditionally has played a low-key role in the running of the EV giant, faces growing scrutiny amid Tesla's difficult start to the year.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that members of Tesla's board had contacted recruitment firms to begin the search for a new CEO to replace Musk.

Board chair Denholm and Musk both denied the accuracy of the story, which came as Tesla faces collapsing sales across the globe and a wave and protests and vandalism over Musk's work at DOGE.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment sent outside normal working hours.