One of the Caribbean’s unique private island resorts is for sale.

The quirky, castaway-chic Young Island Resort, set just off the coast of St. Vincent, is listed or sale for $10 million USD with Sotheby’s International Realty.

The 12.6-acre island includes 29 private guest cottages scattered around the island, along with a floating beach bar.

The property, which has been under the same ownership for 33 years, has long been the top hotel in “mainland” St. Vincent, recently boosted by the opening of the island’s first international airport, Argyle International Airport.

The pool at the Duvernette Suite.

The resort, accessed by a charming small ferry service across the bay, includes a pool, a spa, the Captain Bligh Lounge and Bar and a series of outdoor dining kiosks.

The rustic but charming cottages range from smaller units near the beach to hillside units, some with outdoor showers.

The flagship unit is the Duvernette Suite, a two-bedroom villa-style cottage on the hillside.

The hotel is operational – meaning you can still book a stay before anything changes.

See the full listing here.

— CJ

The post St. Vincent’s Young Island Resort Is For Sale appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Southwest Airlines is adding another new Caribbean destination.

The fast-expanding carrier is planning to launch new nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale and Providenciales, Turks and Caicos beginning Nov. 5.

Southwest Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly made the announcement in a news conference this week as part of a preview for the carrier’s $333 million revitalization and expansion of Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport’s Terminal 1, slated to debut this summer.

“These new gates, additional border screening capacity, and the arts and flavor of South Florida will be a hit with hundreds of thousands of Southwest’s local Customers who prefer our all-in friendliness and value,” said Kelly. “In offering access to the network of America’s largest carrier1, we also bring Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood a bolder shade of blue, where two bags fly free for everyone, where no one pays a change fee*, with purposed policies rooted in the spirit of no surprises.”

The daily Turks and Caicos flights will be a significant new option for travelers looking to head to the Turks and Caicos, with flights starting at $59 one way — easily the cheapest flights to the destination on any carrier.

The Sands at Grace Bay.

It’s the latest airlift boost for the Turks and Caicos islands, which last year saw new service out of Fort Lauderdale on JetBlue.

Looking for places to stay in Turks and Caicos? Check out our recent feature on The Sands at Grace Bay and a list of great Turks and Caicos beach bars to check out.

– CJ Staff

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The Caribbean saw a slight increase in tourist arrivals in the first quarter, helped significantly by continued strong growth from Cuba, according to the latest numbers from the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

The region reported 8.7 million international tourist arrivals in the first quarter, a 1.8 percent increase over 2016, although that was led by strong numbers from Cuba and the Dominican Republic, the region’s two largest tourism destinations by volume, according to new CTO Chairman Dionisio D’Aguilar, the Bahamas’ Minister of Tourism.

The region did show improvement out of Canada, with a 4.8 percent increase in arrivals, after a sluggish 2016 from the country.

Cruise passenger arrivals showed a 4.5 percent increase, with about 10 million arrivals overall.

— CJ Staff

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PONCE, Puerto Rico — US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces for Rapid Action (FURA, for its Spanish acronym) agents on Wednesday morning found 16 bales of cocaine amounting to 1,198 pounds (543 kilos) inside an abandoned “yola” vessel on the coast of…

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Carnival Cruise Line has created a special tropical-flavored beer served exclusively at Carnival Vista’s RedFrog Pub & Brewery.

The new Miami Guava Wheat beer was unveiled at a recent shipboard ceremony, during which Carnival Vista’s expert brewmaster Colin Presby tapped the first cask of the refreshing new brew.

Guests on board were the first to sample the beer, hand-crafted by Presby using the finest ingredients and inspired by Carnival Vista’s Miami homeport.

Miami Guava Wheat has a light body and notes of tangy pink guava, the primary ingredient in Miami’s popular guava pastries.

“Since Carnival Vista began sailing from Miami, I’ve become fascinated by tropical fruit and Cuban cuisine so I’m beyond thrilled to create this new Miami Guava Wheat in honor of American Craft Beer Week for our guests to enjoy,” Presby said.

Available on a limited basis, Miami Guava Wheat joins the three other original draft beers brewed only onboard Carnival Vista — ThirstyFrog Port Hoppin’ IPA offering aromatic, floral and hoppy notes with tropical and citrus overtones; ThirstyFrog Caribbean Wheat, an unfiltered wheat beer with flavors of orange and spices; and FriskyFrog Java Stout, a take on a traditional stout, rich and creamy with hints of coffee.

The brewed-on-board beers are just several of the food and beverage offerings on Carnival Vista which also features the cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar, the New England-inspired Seafood Shack, JiJi Asian Kitchen serving authentic cuisine from across the Far East, Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse, and Cucina del Capitano, a family-style Italian eatery.

Carnival Vista operates six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises from PortMiami to the Caribbean and will shift to Galveston, Texas, in fall 2018 when its sister ship, Carnival Horizon, launches year-round service from Miami.

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