By the Caribbean Journal staff

Luxury cruise line Crystal Cruises has unveiled an expanded slate of its new Crystal Getaways shorter itineraries.

The company has added new voyages for both 2017 and 2018, including a pair of cruises in the Caribbean in both years.

In 2017, Crystal Serenity will sail eight-day voyages, with one journey from Fort Lauderdale to Barbados and a second from Barbados to Charleston.

In 2018, Crystal will sail from Lima to Colon, Panama on Crystal Symphony, with that ship also handling a seven-day itinerary from Aruba to Fort Lauderdale.

“Crystal Getaways are perfectly suited to modern luxury travelers, whose calendars are packed but who relish opportunities to discover new cultures and adventures,” says Carmen Roig, Crystal’s senior vice president of marketing and sales. “These shortened itineraries help our guests make the most of their travel time, with the same standard of Crystal’s award-winning luxury and enriching experiences, at a fraction of the fare of the full voyage.””

The post Crystal Cruises Adds More “Getaways” appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Alexander Britell

There’s a great new way to reach one of the Caribbean’s most fascinating destinations.

European low-cost carrier Norwegian is set to launch its newest route on Oct. 30, with flights between Fort Lauderdale and Fort-de-France, Martinique.

The best part? The flights start as low as $59 one way.

Martinique

Norwegian is also resuming its Martinique flights from US hubs including New York and Providence at the end of October.

Norwegian is operating the flights four times per week on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, creating a new gateway to one of the region’s increasingly popular destinations.

So what to do in Martinique?

This isn’t your typical Caribbean – it’s a remarkable mix of raw natural beauty and cosmopolitan sophistication, from lush rainforests to a thriving local art scene to a collection of 11 rum distilleries that makes it the Bordeaux of rum.

Rhum JM’s distillery in Macouba, Martinique

Of course, if you’re looking for a classic beach vacation, you can find that, too, with a wide assortment of beaches from volcanic stretches to traditional white sand.

As for hotels, the emphasis is decidedly on boutique, from small luxury properties like French Coco, Plein Soleil and Cap Est to La Pagerie, the hotel set in the resort town of Trois Ilets.

French Coco.

And then there’s the food, some of the most spectacular cuisine you’ll find in the Caribbean, with a fusion of French and Caribbean that is endlessly creative. (Make sure you try the eateries by local celebrity chefs Marcel Ravin and Jean-Charles Bredas, along with Le Petibonum, the region’s premier gourmet beach restaurant.

Saint Pierre.

And make sure you don’t miss the town of Saint Pierre, once the “Paris of the Caribbean” but destroyed in a massive volcanic eruption in 1902. Today, it’s the Caribbean Pompeii, a charming historic village.

The post A New Way to Fly to Martinique appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

The Tortola Pier Park, the British Virgin Islands’ major cruise destination, is committing to a “quick recovery” in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

The Tortola Pier Park is slated for a partial reopening of the facility on Nov. 1, according to a statement from the park.

That will be followed by a Christmas celebration on Dec. 22 and 23.

“We are sending a clear message to our customers, partners and shareholders that yes Tortola Pier Park and the BVI has been affected by two major hurricanes but our story does not end there,” said Meslyn Allan, Leasing & Marketing Manager of Tortola Pier Park Ltd. “We are diligently working closely with the Government of the Virgin Islands and the BVI Ports Authority to ensure a speedy restoration to the facility.”

The park has also launched a “restoration” campaign aiming to let the public know that the park’s efforts will continue.

“Our motivated staff and tenants are eager and ready to once again welcome our valued customers and cruise partners to Tortola Pier Park and we will do so with revitalized passion and strength, continuing our story of being one of the premier cruise and shopping facilities in the Caribbean,” Allan said.

The post Tortola Pier Park Planning “Quick Recovery” appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

Nanny Cay, a resort marina and boatyard in Tortola, British Virgin Islands is making progress in repairing the damages caused by the passage of Hurricane Irma.

Crucially, about 40 percent of Nanny Cay’s rooms are already available, though without Wi-Fi and cable, while the Nanny Cay Beach Bar is already open daily.

As for the marina, sixty docks are due to arrive in November, and will be installed in the undamaged outer marina– providing just over 100 slips.

The Husky Salvage team continues to clear the inner marina, which is “looking considerably better than it did.”

They have added two slips by the fuel dock and are working on additional slips.

For the current season, the marina will be making provisions for “med mooring” along the bulkhead of the inner marina– tying boats up stern-to along the quay of the inner marina with moorings for the bows.

This will reduce the number of boats that they will be able to accommodate, but Nanny Cay says it looks forward to accommodating many of its seasonal and transient guests this season.

“We hope to have additional plans in place soon for more dockage,” the marina said in a statement. “We have cranes in the boatyard righting toppled boats as the surveyors and adjusters approve the moves. The boatyard is a hive activity with boat repairs well underway and the Travelifts working full time to haul and launch boats.”

All of the Nanny Cay-based contractors are back up and running and working on boats.

They continue to clear up the debris around the property which is also “looking more normal day to day.”

The post Tortola’s Nanny Cay Hotel and Marina Making Progress appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Caribbean-Mexico hotel development pipeline is surging right now, according to the latest report from analytics firm STR.

There were 42,259 rooms in 241 hotel projects under contract in the Caribbean and Mexico last month, according to STR.

That represented a 29.3 percent increase in rooms under contract compared to September 2016.

Overall, the Caribbean and Mexico reported 17,490 rooms in 99 projects in construction last month, itself a 25 percent year-over-year increase.

Under contract data includes hotel projects in the In Construction, Final Planning and Planning stages but does not include projects in the Unconfirmed stage.

The post Caribbean-Mexico Hotel Pipeline Surging appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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