Category: Lifestyle

The Points Guy 

The last day of your cruise is always bittersweet. You have one more incredible day of delicious meals, drinks, pool time and shows, but with packing and other errands to fit in, you know your return to reality is on the horizon.

As stress-free as cruising can generally be, walking off a cruise ship isn’t as straightforward as checking out of a hotel. It’s important to take the last day of your cruise to cover your bases and make sure you’re prepared — check your bill, pack your bags, cash out at the casino, the list goes on.

Plus, most venues and amenities will close up shop by the morning of disembarkation, so your final full day of sailing is truly your last hurrah.

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From the necessary tasks you’ll need to take care of before you disembark to the fun activities we won’t let you forget about, here are 13 things to do on the last day of your cruise.

Confirm your disembarkation group

It’s important to know when you must leave the ship on disembarkation morning, especially if you have a flight to catch. The ship will usually assign debarkation times based on priority status and flight times, or you might be able to request a time frame in the cruise line’s app.

On the last day of your cruise, you’ll receive color-coded tags indicating when your group should disembark from the ship and where to find your luggage on the pier.

If the timing does not work with your post-cruise plans, you’ll need to request a change at the guest services desk — especially if you plan to have crew take your luggage off the ship for you.

If you plan on walking off the ship with your bags, however, you can ignore the assigned time and disembark as soon as the ship is cleared at the port. Just be sure you can handle carrying all your luggage yourself.

Related: 16 mistakes cruise ship passengers make on disembarkation day

Spend the rest of your onboard credit

PRINCESS CRUISES

Whether you pre-purchased onboard credit or it was included as part of your booking, don’t let that money go to waste. If it’s the last day of your cruise and you somehow ended up with more credits left than you can possibly spend on drinks, we suggest heading to the retail shops for a last-minute shopping spree! Now’s the time to buy all the cruise ship’s branded merch as mementos of your trip, or better yet, find souvenirs for friends and family back home.

Related: Cruise onboard credit: What it is, where to get it and how best to use it

Alternatively, you can see if the spa or the specialty restaurants have any last-day availability. Just be careful, or you might end up spending hundreds to make sure $20 doesn’t go to waste.

Check your bill

Did all your onboard credits apply properly? Were you charged for drinks even though you had a drink package? Give yourself plenty of time on the last day to handle discrepancies.

While checking your bill at the end of the cruise is a must, we recommend keeping an eye on your account throughout your sailing and handling issues as they arise. Keeping tabs on your folio is especially easy to do nowadays with your cruise line’s app.

But if you’re too busy having fun to check your onboard account daily, make time on the last full day to correct any billing issues. Guest Services usually has a long line on disembarkation morning (often on the final evening, as well). Settling your account is the last thing you want to worry about when you have to catch a flight back home.

Cash out at the casino

Celebrity Millennium Fortunes Casino. MICHEL VERDURE/CELEBRITY CRUISES

Cash out your winnings or outstanding balance at the casino, but especially don’t forget to cash out your casino chips if you’ve been playing table games like poker, blackjack or roulette. You don’t want those valuable tokens to turn into expensive souvenirs.

Casino chips aren’t worth anything on land and won’t be valid on your next cruise. The casino won’t be open when the ship is docked at its debarkation port, so you’ll need to handle this task on the last day of your cruise.

Related: Cruise ship casinos: Everything you need to know about gambling at sea

Visit the photo gallery

Make sure to purchase your favorite photo memories of your cruise before they’re gone. On ships that still print and display every photo (versus using digital imagery), the photo shop staff will throw out all unpurchased prints by the end of the evening. On ships with newer technology, digital photo galleries won’t be open on the morning of disembarkation for any last-minute purchases.

It’s a good idea to visit the photo gallery early to beat the crowd and give yourself time to locate your group’s photos and narrow down your favorites. If your cruise line uses facial recognition to link photos to your account, you might find some photos missing due to technical errors. The photo gallery staff will need time to track down the images by reviewing their files.

Retrieve your duty-free liquor

Did you purchase any duty-free liquor at port or from the onboard duty-free shop? The cruise line will hold it for you throughout the duration of your cruise, but it will typically get delivered to your room on the last night. Still, we recommend clarifying your cruise ship’s policy ahead of time in case you need to pick it up yourself.

Since those bottles of alcohol are surely over the carry-on liquid allowance, pack them in your checked luggage if you’re flying home. You’ll need to wait until your duty-free liquor purchase has been delivered to set out your luggage for pickup.

Related: Can I bring alcohol on a cruise ship? A line-by-line guide

Return any borrowed towels

You might feel tempted to take those nice fluffy pool towels home, but many cruise lines will charge you if you take towels off the ship and don’t return them. To avoid an unexpected charge on your bill, return any towels you checked out at the pool and leave your beach towels in your cabin.

Pack and place your luggage outside your door

ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK/THE POINTS GUY

We know packing means your cruise is officially over. Sigh. But since you’ll need to leave your luggage in the hall the night before you disembark, you should start packing earlier in the day. Be sure to attach those color-coded luggage tags to your large bags and then put them outside your door so the ship’s crew can retrieve them and transfer your luggage to the pier in the morning.

Related: Cruise packing list: The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise

Set aside anything you’ll need for the next morning, like your toothbrush, medications and a change of clothes. You should also keep important travel documents with you, like your passport, ID and key card. If you want to avoid this extra prep or dictate what time you get off the ship, you can self-disembark by carrying your luggage yourself, as we mentioned previously.

Check in for your flight

If you have internet access on the ship or find Wi-Fi in port on your last day, remember to check in for your flight up to 24 hours ahead of time. It’s easy to do on your phone and will save you a step at the airport to make your journey home as smooth as possible after your cruise.

Airports are always hectic, more so if several cruise ships are disgorging passengers at the same time. You can avoid the last-minute crush of other passengers checking in at the airport if you already have a boarding pass and have paid to check bags.

Simply save your mobile boarding pass to your digital wallet or airline app, and you won’t need to stand in line to check in at the airport or print your boarding pass. Bag drop lines are often shorter if you’ve already paid checked bag fees online.

Thank crew members

Automatic gratuity charges at Princess Cruises are distributed among the crew. PRINCESS CRUISES

Most cruises nowadays have automatic pre-paid gratuities or might even include gratuities as part of your cruise fare, but if you’d like to thank specific crew members for going above and beyond, you can leave them an envelope with cash or hand them an extra tip on the last day of your cruise.

By the last night, you’ll have built a bond with your cabin attendant and the main dining room servers who took care of you each night, and you might want to recognize them individually. Or, you might want to show your appreciation to other crew members who made a special impact on your vacation. Money aside, a simple thank-you or heartfelt note goes a long way.

Look over your cabin carefully

When you’ve finished packing, give your cabin one last thorough lookover to make sure nothing gets left behind — check the closets, drawers and especially your safe. Double-check the bathroom vanity and remove any magnets you’ve affixed to the cabin door or walls. Don’t forget to look under the bed.

We’ve seen forgetful friends and family members leave behind important items, like passports or jewelry, in their safe. Or perhaps you’ve forgotten that you tucked a few things in a drawer on embarkation day that you never needed to use and forgot about by the end of the trip.

Related: The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship

Stash items you’re leaving out for the final morning in one place, so you don’t have to do the search all over again before you vacate your cabin. You might be able to get forgotten belongings sent back to you after your cruise, but Lost & Found isn’t reliable, so it’s better not to leave anything on board when you depart.

Book your next cruise

Infinite veranda cabin on Celebrity Edge. CELEBRITY CRUISES

Cruise lines want you to book your next sailing while you’re still on the ship — and you should, too, if you want to lock in the best offers. Usually, the future cruise desk will offer exclusive discounted fares with much lower deposits (giving you more flexibility if you change your mind later) or throw in extra onboard credit beyond publicly available promotions.

Even if you don’t have your mind made up yet on a specific sailing date, sometimes you can make a deposit to be used toward any future cruise booking. This flexible booking lets you lock in the offers only available on board. Plus, it feels less like goodbye when you know you have another cruise to look forward to!

If you want to save time on your last day, find out if your cruise line will let you book the same offer once you get home (typically within a few days of sailing).

Get in that one last…

Sure, you’ll have several “chores” on your to-do list for the last day of your cruise, but don’t let that keep you from enjoying your last full day of vacation. Whether it’s a final tropical cocktail, one last epic dinner or the goodbye stage show, get in your fill of your favorite cruise ship activities on your last day and evening aboard.

Don’t forget to take a moment to watch the sun set over the sea one more time – take in the cool ocean breeze, the mesmerizing wake of the ship and the quiet calm of the approaching dusk.

On disembarkation morning, make the most of your last breakfast before you get off the ship. (This is truly the last thing you get to look forward to, and personally, we always do.) Whether you opt for the buffet or prefer the personalized service of the main dining room, don’t skip the morning meal because that last hearty breakfast plate and hot cup of coffee is your final cruise ship goodbye.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
15 ways cruisers waste money
The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

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Well+Good 

I’m gonna be honest: I hate stretching. But, as a certified trainer, I also know that working on my flexibility is an important counterpoint to all of the running, weightlifting, and other intense types of exercise I do.

So I decided to test drive a bunch of stretching apps to see if there were any that would actually make me want to stick with a consistent stretching routine. Turns out, there are four that I can really get behind and recommend.

Best overall: StretchIt

As a competitive athlete, StretchIt was my favorite stretching app because it takes the flexibility aspect of fitness and makes it goal-oriented. You choose your personal goals and then the app creates specific workouts and challenges for you based on those targets.

I think that one of my hang ups with getting myself to consistently stretch is that I often overlook the value of stretching and I don’t see a lot of progress with it. By having to identify certain aims, and then feeling like I have a personalized routine tailored to me, I felt more motivated to actually do the stretching routines in this app.

After each stretching class or workout, you can rate how the stretches felt and this information is used to help personalize the next suggested stretching workouts and challenges. (You can even upload progress pictures to the app to keep track of improvements in your flexibility.)

Details:

Price: $19.99 per month or $160 per year after the free trial
Average customer review: 4.8 stars
Pros: personalized routines, user-friendly interface, allows you to track progress
Cons: expensive

Best for beginners: Stretch & Flexibility at Home

If you just want to learn the basics of stretching, I’d recommend the Stretch & Flexibility at Home app. There is both voice and video guidance for all of the stretches, which makes it super helpful for learning how to stretch specific muscles. (Though to be honest, the audio instructions are a bit creepy because the voice is computer-generated.)

Another great feature of this stretching app is that there are specific routines based on your needs. For example, you can choose warm-up stretches, stretches to improve flexibility, stretches to help you relax before bed, or stretches for specific muscle groups that feel tight. This customization is a nice feature for anyone who just wants to get right down to the exact stretches they have the time and need for without a lot of filler. For instance, as a runner, I particularly liked that there are stretching workouts designed for cooling down after a run or loosening up tight muscles from running.

Details:

Price: $4.99 per month after a free trial (a free version is also available)
Average customer review: 4.8 stars
Pros: Video and voice-guided stretches, focused routines, reasonable price
Cons: The free version is pretty barebones, voiceovers are computer-generated

Best free stretching app: Start Stretching

Many fitness apps can be costly if you want the premium features, but there are some decent free stretching apps. My pick for the best free stretching app is Start Stretching.

While there are in-app purchases if you want upgrades, you can access pretty much any of the stretching content you need without paying a penny. Plus, if you don’t have much time or interest in stretching, almost all of the stretching exercises are quite short and you still feel like you are accomplishing something.

That said, if you are looking for advanced flexibility exercises, this might not be an appropriate stretching app for you. The library is limited and most of the stretches are fairly basic.

On the other hand, if you’re an absolute beginner who needs a little more instruction on how to stretch correctly, this might not be the best introduction since there are no videos, just illustrations. Perhaps once you learn some of the best stretches from other apps, you can cancel a premium subscription and then use this free stretching app to keep working towards your stretching goals.

Details:

Price: Free with optional in-app purchases
Average customer review: 4.9 stars
Pros: Free, beginner-friendly stretches, short routines
Cons: Limited library, no video or audio (only illustrations)

Best for stretching enthusiasts: Pliability

The Pliability stretching app (formerly called ROMWOD, which stood for range of motion workout of the day) is somewhat unique. It was created specifically for athletes to improve flexibility, and is particularly popular among CrossFit enthusiasts.

Most of the stretching workouts are fairly lengthy, which can be good or bad, depending on your interest in stretching and how much time you want to devote to stretching workouts.

For me personally, I liked the emphasis on mobility as well as flexibility, because I feel like mobility is equally, if not more important, than flexibility for my own needs as an athlete, as well as for everyday functional movement for most people.

You can focus on a specific body part or flexibility goal every day, and there are thorough videos that walk you through the stretches. That said, this is a stretching app for athletes and CrossFitters so it is a little bit more advanced and the video tutorials might be complicated for someone with a limited understanding of body parts and fitness in general.

For me, because most of the stretching workouts in this app are 15 to 20 minutes long, I felt a little intimidated or unmotivated to use the app since I don’t always have that much time to devote to stretching. (Though to be fair, that might just say something about my priorities.)

Details:

Price: $13.99 per month
Average Customer Review: 4.8 stars
Pros: Combines mobility and flexibility, thorough videos
Cons: Not beginner-friendly, long workouts, on the pricier side

Verdict: What is the best app for stretching and flexibility?

Call me “basic,” but my recommendation for the best stretching app is StretchIt. It has an easy-to-use interface, and you can sort stretching workouts based on the amount of time you have, body part, goal, etc. I really love the challenges, which make me more inclined to actually use the app and stretch. Isn’t that the point?

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Carscoops 

Toyota only released its first GR road car in 2019, but brand awareness is huge and the automaker is keen to capitalize on the credibility those two letters infer. And much like BMW and Mercedes do with their M and AMG badges, Toyota offers both dedicated GR cars and uses GR Sport as a trim grade to add some pizazz to its ordinary cars.

So while we’d love to see the GR team let loose on the Hilux pickup to create something along the lines of a Ranger Raptor, what we’ve actually got here is a GR-branded regular Hilux truck with a sprinkling of performance-themed details.

The Hilux GR Sport II, to give it its full name, follows on from the original EU-spec GR Sport pickup revealed earlier this year and goes on sale in the UK in 2024. It comes only as a double-cab and gains 20 mm (0.8 inches) of ride height over a stock Hilux for greater ground clearance and an improved (from 29 to 30 degrees) approach angle. There are 17-inch wheels with off-road tires, faster-acting monotube dampers in place of the old twin-tube parts, plus larger brakes at the front and a set of discs at the rear instead of drums.

Related: New Toyota Prius GRMN Is Coming With A Boosted PHEV Powertrain, Says Report

But the most obvious change is the impressive 140 mm (5.5 inches) and 150 mm (5.9 inches) of width added to the front and rear track, a change which should improve stability, but also requires a fat set of arch extensions that give the GR Sport II a heap more visual appeal, which is what this package is really about.

Other visual upgrades include a black G-mesh front grill, black side steps, mirrors, door handles and rear bumper, all of which contrast nicely with the red brake calipers and coil springs. Inside, there are GR-branded sports seats upholstered in fake suede and leather, red seatbelts and shift paddles, aluminium pedals and Toyota’s 8-inch Smart Connect+ multimedia system.

Sadly, there are no GR-flavored changes under the hood, where the Hilux sticks with the same 201 hp (150 kW / 204 PS) 2.8-liter turbodiesel four and six-speed automatic transmission fitted to non-GR versions of the truck in the UK market.

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Carscoops 

Citroen took the wraps off the new e-C3, a fully electric supermini with crossover styling cues, aiming to be quirky and affordable with a starting price below €25,000 ($26,400). Besides the EV, the French automaker also confirmed that there will be a petrol-powered Citroen C3 in the future.

The EU-spec model appears to be closely related to the Citroen New C3 that debuted two years ago and is already available in India and South America. The greenhouse, profile, and proportions are nearly identical between the two models. However, the European e-C3 boasts a redesigned face and a slightly different tail, both inspired by the Oli concept. Among the highlights are the LED headlights and taillights introducing Citroen’s new lighting signature, alongside the new oval emblem which makes its first appearance in the supermini.

More: What We Know About The 2025 Citroen C5 Aircross

Overall, the styling is boxier and more rugged than the outgoing Citroen C3, with the e-C3 adopting an upright stance and a more sculpted bodywork. The generous ground clearance, plastic cladding, roof rails, and decorative skid plats, make the e-C3 look more like a B-SUV rather than a small hatchback. Still, the footprint is smaller than the family-friendly C3 Aircross which will grow even larger in the next-generation model that is coming next year.

The platform was described to be developed as EV-native, using a Stellantis-sourced battery that is good for 320 km (199 miles) of range. It will also go from 20-80% in just 26 minutes thanks to 100 kW DC charging. Additionally, Citroen will also offer a petrol-powered C3, for those who are not ready to make the step to electric mobility.

The new Citroen e-C3 will be produced in Europe, and go on sale in European markets in early 2024 with a starting price below €25,000 ($26,400). This figure matches the target price of upcoming rivals including the Renault 5 and the VW ID.2.

This is a developing story and will be updated…

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Carscoops 

Porsche has confirmed that it will continue to offer the 911 and 718 models with manual transmissions for as long as possible, hopefully through the current generation of its sports cars.

While many other performance-focused car manufacturers have ditched manual transmissions over the last 10-15 years (we’re looking at you Ferrari and Lamborghini), Porsche has soldiered on and kept producing arguably the finest stick shifts currently available. While recently speaking on the carmaker’s commitment to manual transmissions, Porsche 911 and 718 boss Frank Moser said the demand from customers is the reason they’ve stuck around.

“Manual transmission is always what the customer wants in the 911, so we have been and are working as long as possible to save the manuals,” Moser told The Drive. “That’s absolutely relevant for the 911. That’s why we have the 911 T with a manual gearshift, and now the 911 S/T with a stick shift, and that’s really because customers want a stick shift.”

Read: How Would You Configure Your Dream 2024 Porsche 911 S/T?

Moser added that the carmaker is “working on” ensuring that it can keep manuals alive through the current generation of 911 and 718. What will happen after that? We’ll have to wait and see but given that the 718 will morph into an EV, it will obviously lose a manual in the future but we’re hopeful that as long as Porsche continues building an ICE 911, it will continue to offer a manual.

Interestingly, Moser indicated that the car manufacturer doesn’t have any interest in trying to make a manual for an electric vehicle. Toyota is known to be researching a potential synthetic stick shift for EVs but Moser thinks this is inauthentic and doesn’t want to follow suit.

“What we want, and that’s the key for Porsche, is to make it authentic,” he said. “So therefore, I don’t know that there’s a way for us to have a stick shift in an electrified car.”

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Carscoops 

Chery has released new images and details of the Omoda 5 EV at the Geneva/Qatar Motor Show prior to it launching in Europe and other markets next year.

The Omoda 5 EV was first presented at the Shanghai Auto Show earlier this year but little has been said about it since then. Chery confirmed in Qatar that it comes standard with a 61 kWh battery pack that drives an electric motor at the front wheels with 204 hp.

The ICE-powered Omoda 5 SUV isn’t particularly quick so it comes as no surprise that the electric variant isn’t a performance weapon either. Nevertheless, it can hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in a respectable 7.6 seconds and has a claimed range of 280 miles (450 km). The electric SUV supports 110 kW DC fast charging that allows it to charge from 0-80% in 30 minutes.

Read: Chery Bringing Omoda 5 SUV In ICE And EV Versions To The UK

A handful of styling changes differentiate the Omoda 5 EV from the regular model. These changes are most evident from the front where the expansive grille of the combustion model has been removed and replaced with a painted surface with sharp lines. The Omoda 5 EV’s lower grille is also unique and sports vertical slats. Designers have also tweaked the LED headlights, added large Omoda lettering, and altered the shape of the main headlamp clusters.

Some alterations have also been made to the rear. For example, the rear spoiler is slightly different and there is know Chery branding on the light bar. The presence of an electric powertrain has also allowed the brand to ditch the standard model’s exhausts and replace them with a simple black bumper.

The launch of the Omoda 5 EV comes just a couple of months after Chery confirmed that the Omoda brand was heading to European shores in both combustion and electric forms. The ICE model is fitted with a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that is good for 197 hp and 214 lb-ft (290 Nm) of torque.  

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Carscoops 

Nissan has unveiled the third of its electric vehicle concepts coming to the Japan Mobility Show 2023 starting next week. This latest creation is dubbed the Nissan Hyper Tourer Concept and takes the form of an electric minivan.

Much like the Hyper Adventure Concept and Hyper Urban SUV Concept introduced by Nissan over the past couple of weeks, the Hyper Tourer Concept has a sharp exterior design quite unlike any current Nissan production models. The front end has a particularly imposing demeanor with sharp lines and is connected neatly to the rear with a white waistline that doubles as an LED light bar.

The sides of the Hyper Tourer Concept are equally as dramatic with an intricate wheel design and shapely door skins. There is also plenty of glass across the upper half of the concept, letting heaps of light into the cabin.

Speaking of the cabin, Nissan says that the use of a fully autonomous driving system means the front seats can swivel 360 degrees and as such, can face the rear seats. Additionally, those sitting in the second row can put on a wearable display that will allow them to view and operate both the navigation and audio controls on the main infotainment screen up front. The concept even has an advanced AI system that can monitor the brain waves, heart rate, breathing, and perspiration of occupants and adjust the music and lighting accordingly.

Read: Nissan Hyper Adventure Concept Is A Future Electric SUV That Can Take You Everywhere

Nissan says the Hyper Tourer Concept is “geared towards individuals who appreciate the finer things in life and enjoy the company of friends and associates, whether on a road trip or business outing.” The spacious interior has been achieved thanks to compact powertrain components that include solid-state batteries and an e-4ORCE all-wheel drive system. The concept also has Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) functionality, meaning the battery could be used to power a home, store, or office.

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Carscoops 

As the culture war around firearms has intensified, a subset of gun owners has taken to putting bumper stickers on their vehicles emblazoned with the message “Come and take them.” To some thieves, that’s less of a defiant provocation than it is an open invitation.

That’s because over the last decade, parked vehicles, especially those that have bumper stickers with pro-gun messages on them, have become increasingly targeted by thieves. In fact, in 2020, parked vehicles were the largest source of stolen firearms in America.

According to research from the gun control group, Everytown for Gun Safety, a quarter of all stolen guns in America came from a parked vehicle a decade ago, reports the New York Times. In 2022, more than half of all stolen guns came from a parked vehicle.

For example, in Nashville, the number of firearms taken from parked vehicles increased nearly tenfold over the last decade. In 2012, just 152 guns were stolen from vehicles. In 2022, that figure had risen to 1,378.

Read: Ford Dealer Launches “God, Guns and America” Campaign Which Gives Customers A Gun And A Bible

Those stolen guns can then be used in crimes, as happened with a Glock 9mm pistol stolen from a Dodge Charger in Nashville in 2022. Less than a year later, the gun was connected to three shootings that wounded at least five people.

It’s hard to know exactly how big of a problem stolen guns are across the country, because just 15 states require owners to report them as stolen. However, increasing that number is not where lawmakers are starting. Fearing a culture war, there is bipartisan support for rules that would require owners to store their guns in locked compartments when they park their vehicles.

In Tennessee, a pair of bills seek to outlaw the practice of leaving a firearm in a vehicle unless it is “locked within the trunk, utility or glove box, or a locked container securely affixed,” with violators required to attend a gun safety course.

But the National Rifle Association (N.R.A.) and other advocates object to these measures. They argue that the laws target victims of robbery, and say that such measures might discourage owners from reporting their guns as stolen. Lawmakers are trying to work around these objections.

“We’re likening it to a speeding ticket,” said Caleb Hemmer, a Tennessee state representative. “We know we’re in a conservative state, and we’re trying to convince people to be responsible gun owners.”

Meanwhile, others reject the N.R.A.’s arguments altogether. Republican Tennessee Representative John Gillespie, who co-sponsored Hemmer’s bill, was frustrated by the objections.

“I’m more than willing to increase the penalties for people stealing a gun,” said Gillespie. “But are we really that burdened by asking someone to properly lock up their gun in a vehicle so it can’t be stolen?”

While some states, such as California, New York, and New Jersey already have laws on the books mandating that firearms be locked in a secure compartment, they are being resisted in other states. For example, Virginia recently tried and failed to introduce such a measure.

Meanwhile, cities trying to enforce their own rules face difficulties when people come in from out of town. Still, they are trying. In many, authorities are simply giving in-vehicle gun safes away to encourage their use, and curb this dangerous trend.

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Carscoops 

Volkswagen has opted to initiate a recall for the 2019 Atlas SUV following a cautionary notice from its supplier regarding potential airbag defects in a limited number of units. Fortunately, the automaker has confirmed that only two vehicles are impacted.

The company initially became aware of this issue on July 28 when its supplier raised concerns about a potential problem. The supplier warned the automaker that some side impact airbags may have been incorrectly manufactured at its facility.

The supplier was worried that a welding seam at the side airbag housing may be missing as a result of an error at its factory. Between August and September, VW conducted an internal review in an attempt to identify how many vehicles were potentially affected by this problem, and how big of a risk it was to consumer safety.

Read: Feds Investigate 2018-2019 VW Atlas For Phantom Braking Issue

By September 28, it had determined that if the airbag’s welding seam was missing, the deployment of the bags may be compromised, or it could separate entirely, increasing the risk of an injury during an accident. The investigation also revealed that this issue was limited to two Atlases from the 2019 model year. Consequently, a recall campaign has been initiated as a precautionary measure to prevent any potential injuries. Fortunately, since this issue was identified by the supplier, and it affects just two vehicles, VW is not aware of any field reports related to it.

The automaker plans to start reaching out to the two owners on December 1 to inform them of this issue. It will then replace their side impact airbags with new ones that were manufactured correctly.

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Well+Good 

My friends and I have shared a lot over the years: dorm rooms and apartments, stories of high school crushes and every little detail of the date one of us went on, and cover letters via Google Docs. Over time, we’ve even adopted one another’s mannerisms and language quirks… without necessarily being able to pinpoint how or why. (Case in point: I regularly say, “Y’all,” even though I grew up in Pennsylvania.) According to psychology, we’ve all been unintentionally blending our quirks and camouflaging with one another á la the chameleon effect.

A peculiar phenomenon of social psychology, the chameleon effect “describes the unconscious tendency most people have of mimicking, or mirroring, another person’s facial expressions, non-verbal behaviors, and verbal expression,” says licensed counselor Suzanne Degges-White, PhD, LCPC, NPC. (To be clear, we’re talking about the kind of mimicking that happens unintentionally; by contrast, plenty of people use intentional mimicry as a form of manipulation, which is not the same thing as the chameleon effect.)

Much like the term’s eponymous creatures can change their colors, we tend to unconsciously shape-shift our mannerisms to match those with whom we’re interacting in a social environment—and as we become more like them, they become more like us.

Within close friendships and relationships, that effect can ramp up over time: “The more time you spend with people, the more you begin to create similar habits—whether they’re social habits, behavioral habits, or communication habits,” says behavioral-health expert Julie Radlauer-Doerfler, DrPH, LMHC.

But you don’t actually need to have any prior relationship with someone to experience the chameleon effect in real time. (That could explain why I recently started speaking in a British accent to a stranger who had a British accent.) Indeed, the researchers who first identified the chameleon effect, psychologists Tanya Chartrand, PhD, and John Bargh, PhD, found that this kind of unintentional mimicry could occur even among strangers interacting with “non-smiling strangers” with whom they never made eye contact and had no existing “goal to affiliate.”

Why does the chameleon effect happen?

The chameleon effect says that, whether it’s your best friend’s midwestern accent or a stranger’s smile, you may automatically reciprocate, and the research points to evolutionary reasons as to why. According to a 2003 review of research on behavioral mimicry, we may unintentionally copy the behaviors of people around us to up our chances of being accepted into a group—which would’ve been a necessary skill for our ancestors, who often had to rely on others for help with survival activities like finding food and defending against predators.

It’s for that reason that researchers have called the chameleon effect a form of “social glue:” Copying someone can unconsciously strengthen your bond with them. “The chameleon effect generally has a positive influence on the interrelationship between two people as it leads them to believe that they share similarities with each other and are in sync,” says Dr. Degges-White. She adds that mirroring of our behaviors can make us trust others more, view them as more attractive, and feel more connected to them.

“The chameleon effect…leads [two people] to believe that they share similarities with each other and are in sync.” —Suzanne Degges-White, PhD, licensed counselor

The research supports these assertions, too. In Dr. Chartrand and Dr. Bargh’s original studies on the chameleon effect, they found that mimicry facilitated greater liking and rapport. In particular, those participants whose movements were mirrored by a conversation partner reported liking that person more and thought the interaction went more smoothly than those in a control condition that didn’t involve any copying. Imagine just how much mirroring may be happening on a great first date or in a comfortable conversation between friends.

To that end, unintentional mimicry is one way that our minds are unconsciously working to make sure that we get along with others. After all, the better our interactions go over, the more we can satisfy our fundamental need for belonging and develop the kinds of social connections and relationships that help us live a longer, healthier life.

What are a few examples of the chameleon effect in action?

You can spot the chameleon effect in play among friends who share one another’s greetings (just take the example of my own free-flowing use of “y’all”) or behavioral quirks, like the way they cross their legs.

“When hanging out with friends, we often reflect their posture, their facial expressions, and their energy when they are sharing about the good or the disappointing things in their lives,” says Dr. Degges-White. To me, this is a pretty special thing: You’re becoming more like the people whom you most care about… and they’re becoming more like you.

With strangers, you might not notice the chameleon effect as readily, but it’s there if you look for it. Perhaps you start sitting like the person across the waiting room from you at the doctor’s office, or in response to someone giving you a compliment on your shirt, you give them one right back on their shirt.

According to Dr. Degges-White, there’s one behavior, in particular, that gets passed along especially easily—and that’s smiling. “It’s the quintessential example of unintentional mimicry,” she says. “Human beings are pretty much hardwired to smile when another person smiles at them.” (If you’re reading this right now, just know that I’m smiling at you from afar.)

Who is most prone to engaging in the chameleon effect?

Like most social phenomena, the chameleon effect is not experienced equally by everyone, even though it’s thought that we all engage in it to some degree. People who have certain personality traits that open them up to the experiences of others, and those who find themselves in positions where making quick social connections is key may have more chameleon tendencies than others. Here are a few categories of people who fall into that bucket:

Empathetic people

In Dr. Chartrand and Dr. Bargh’s initial research, those with certain empathetic tendencies mirrored the behaviors of their conversation partners more readily.

In particular, they found that people high in perspective-taking (the act of adopting the psychological viewpoint of others) were more likely to copy the mannerisms of people with whom they interacted. Which makes sense: Being able to put yourself in another person’s shoes would likely mean you’re more perceptive of their behaviors and, in turn, more open to adopting them.

People in new situations

“In situations where we are unsure of ourselves or in new environments, like a job interview or the first day on a new job, we may be more likely to engage in chameleon behaviors to ensure that we look like we fit in and don’t stand out in a negative way,” says Dr. Degges-White.

In these scenarios, our unconscious tendency to copy others can work in our favor by helping us to form quick connections and make a good first impression.

People whose jobs rely on social connections

People who have roles where forming quick bonds with strangers is necessary, including salespeople and counselors, are often trained to capitalize on the chameleon effect and may get used to mirroring gestures and language to build rapport, says Dr. Degges-White. “When a counselor mirrors their client’s body language or reflects back what the client says, it can make the client feel that their counselor [better] understands them,” she says.

For similar reasons, a salesperson who mirrors the mannerisms of a client may endear them to make another purchase. And by the same token, research has found that servers in a restaurant who mimicked their customers’ behaviors at both the initial and final stages of their interactions earned higher tips than those who didn’t.

How to embrace the social benefits of the chameleon effect

1. Let yourself be a copycat

Engaging in the chameleon effect (which is, again, a subconscious act) can be a sign that you are tuning into your environment and focusing on the people around you. It will ultimately benefit your relationships with your favorite people.

“By attuning to others in your company, you are showing them that you care about them and understand them, which deepens the relationship,” says Dr. Degges-White. Our brains developed this imitation tendency for a reason; use it for the social glue that it is.

2. Be aware

The most important thing about the chameleon effect is to be aware of it (kudos to you for reading this article). Because it is an involuntary process, all you can really do is notice that it’s happening and understand why it’s happening and how it might affect you and your relationships.

Even though the chameleon effect helps to build trust in relationships, it could also cause you to adopt habits from people in your sphere that you don’t necessarily want. Consider how a friend’s annoying tendency to check their phone every 30 seconds might rub off on you, for example.

“Just as you can recognize that hanging around people with bad habits can cause you to develop bad habits yourself, you can also recognize that the opposite is true: Spending time around people with good habits will help you to develop good habits,” says Radlauer-Doerfler.

That doesn’t mean you have to go get rid of your phubbing friend—but it’s important to be aware that behaviors are contagious, and setting intentions for better habits may support you and those around you. Let the good catch on.

3. Trust your instincts

Remember: Intentional mimicry is an entirely different thing from the chameleon effect and is often used as a manipulation tactic. “Always trust your gut instincts about someone whom you catch mimicking you, especially when their behavior or mimicry seems to be a ploy to get you to like or accept them when you otherwise wouldn’t,” says Dr. Degges-White.

If a person’s attempt at mimicking you actually makes them stand out to you (rather than making them feel like a more comfortable presence), that’s a sign to second-guess their intentions.

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