Digits: Owls down the aisles, cruise economics, and other newsy numbers

Half of downtown Juneau, Alaska, is in danger, owls at weddings, and more.

$1,727: Total revenue per passenger on a Carnival cruise, including tickets — which average $1,125 per passenger — and excursions, food, drinks, games, and other amenities. That may sound steep, but when factoring in the costs of operating a cruise and the deprecation of Carnival’s fleet over each ship’s 30-year tenure, ~$150 is left — a 9% margin that’s lower than the 15%-16% margins the company often enjoyed pre-pandemic.

An owl flies over a bride and groom against a blue-and-white background.

$951: How much one UK couple paid to have seven birds, including a ring-bearing owl, attend their wedding. Owls have become an increasingly popular wedding trend across the UK over the past decade, thanks in part to their use as couriers in the Harry Potter world. This typically goes well; however, sometimes an owl does fly off with the rings and, in one case, attacked a wedding guest in Cheshire, England.

550: Buildings at moderate to severe landslide or avalanche risk in Juneau, Alaska, accounting for about half of downtown. Climate change has led to wetter weather, exacerbating the issue in an area prone to such disasters. In Juneau, there are 52 potential avalanche paths, any of which could see buildings swept away at 55 mph. Yet, per The Lever, residents and lawmakers are grappling with a solution hampered by bureaucracy and red tape — like what will happen with property values and insurance.

$5.14: Average cost of cold brew at US coffee shops, per Toast data. A regular cup of Joe came in at $3.08, while a latte was $5.46 — still not nearly enough that abstaining from them would net you a down payment on a house. If you’re looking for the cheapest coffee, you’ll find it in Nebraska for $2.12, 31% lower than average. And interestingly, tea (average price: $3.74) was a more popular purchase in 30 states.

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