Spirit Airlines is planning a major relaunch of its flight service to the Caribbean over the next two months, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

The low-cost carrier is planning a roll-out of relaunched routes in June and July, kicking off as Caribbean destinations begin to open themselves up for travelers. 

The Caribbean relaunch is centered in Fort Lauderdale, which has been a growing hub for Spirit as it has expanded its regional network in recent years. 

“As summer approaches and our destinations begin to open, we have expanded our routes and schedules to be able to offer more flights to our passengers,” said John Kirby, vice president of route planning for Spirit Airlines. “As demand increases, we welcome a number of options, offering our Passengers the opportunity to travel safely and reunite them with family and friends.”

This month, Spirit is relaunching flights to St Thomas, USVI; St Croix, USVI; Cancun, Mexico and San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

Indeed, the US Virgin Islands was the first Caribbean destination to officially reopen its doors for tourism at the beginning of June; there are more flights to the USVI from the mainland United States than to any other Caribbean destination right now. 

In July, Spirit will continue its Caribbean ramp-up, with relaunched flights from Fort Lauderdale to destinations including Aruba; Punta Cana and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic; St Maarten; Port-au-Prince, Haiti; San Jose, Costa Rica; Montego Bay, Jamaica and Santiago, Dominican Republic, among others. (It should be noted that some of these destinations have not yet officially opened, such as St Maarten). 

The relaunch comes as airlines begin to resume service to the Caribbean more broadly, most notably, Delta, which has announced a wave of resumed routes to similar destinations. 

For more, visit Spirit. 

— CJ

The post Spirit Airlines Is Relaunching Flights to the Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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As Caribbean destinations from the United States Virgin Islands to Saint Lucia begin to reopen their borders to travelers, it’s a time of great change and opportunity for the Caribbean. 

This week’s Caribbean Travel Outlook webinar presented by Caribbean Journal (in partnership with Discover Puerto Rico) gathered top industry leaders from across the region to discuss what’s next for the Caribbean travel industry. 

The slate of executives included Frank Comito, CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association; Diana Plazas, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for the Caribbean and Latin America at Marriott International; Mariela Sanchez, General Manager for Specialty Sales Development at Delta Air Lines; Leah Chandler, CDME, CMO at Discover Puerto Rico; and Ronella Tjin-Asjoe-Croes, CEO of the Aruba Tourism Authority. 

“As travelers begin to return to the Caribbean, airlines, hotels and destinations are faced with dual challenges: regenerating demand to travel, and building out the health and safety infrastructure to ensure travelers and locals feel safe and confident,” said Alexander Britell, Editor-in-Chief of Caribbean Journal. “From Delta’s impressive new protocols for safety to Marriott’s industry-leading health and hygiene measures, it’s remarkable to see how the region has responded to the new challenges presented by COVID-19.”

Watch the webinar in its entirety below:

Also find the presentation here. 

— CJ

The post From Marriott to Delta, Industry Leaders Give Outlook for Caribbean Travel appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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The Bahamas is planning to reopen its doors for tourism on July 1, the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Aviation announced. 

The country is reopening under the guidelines of its new “Tourism Readiness and Recovery Plan,” which will be an approved, comprehensive guide of health and safety protocols across the country. 

The program covers everything from entry and departure via airports and seaports to “extensive” health and safety protocols aimed at mitigating risks “for all visitors and residents alike.”

“Our top priority has and will always be our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our residents and visitors” said Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation Director General Joy Jibrilu. “We must remember that we are living in a new normal in the wake of COVID-19 and a lot is going to change across the tourism sector. We are putting an even greater emphasis on making sure The Bahamas is safe and clean for everyone, and look forward to once again providing travelers with the tropical experience our islands are known for.”

The reopening will come in several phases. 

On June 15, The Bahamas will allow for boaters, yachters and private aviation to return to the destination. 

These smaller groups will allow what officials are calling a “more controlled segment to test the country’s new measures.”

During that period, commercial airlines will be permitted to bring in Bahamian citizens, legal residents and homeowners qualifying for economic permanent residency, along with any immediate family members and significant others of these groups. 

All those who return will have to register at a Bahamian embassy or consulate and obtain a COVID-19 test with a negative result. 

In the first phase, hotels will reopen for staff to return to work and put in place all of the new measures. 

The second phase, which begins July 1, will allow for the resumption of international travel. 

That includes both international and domestic airlines; hotels and vacation rentals like Airbnb and HomeAway; and transportation. 

So what can travelers expect?

All visitors will receive temperature screenings by healthcare personnel. 

Travelers must wear face masks in “any situation where it is necessary to enforce physical distancing guidelines, such as when entering and transiting air and sea terminals, while navigating security and customs screenings, and at baggage claim.”

On departure, flights will be scheduled at every other gate to provide “as much distance between flights as possible.” 

On-island, hotels and other accommodation providers will have to enforce extensive health and safety protocols, ranging from limiting the number of guests in elevators to discontinuing buffets. 

“The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation believes it is an absolute baseline requirement for consumers to have a comfort level that The Bahamas is a safe and healthy destination to visit, and the ultimate goal is for that to remain the case,” the Ministry said in a statement.

Accordingly, the reopening plan will continue to be monitored, with dates subject to change “based on COVID-19 trends.”

For more, visit The Bahamas. 

— CJ

The post The Bahamas Plans to Reopen for Tourism in July appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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P&O Cruises is extending its pause in operations until Oct. 15, the company announced in a statement. 

P&O Cruises, whose global cruise network includes sailings in the Caribbean, said it was working “in close coordination with all relevant public health bodies” to enhance its health and safety protocols. 

“As a business our operational focus is not ‘when can we resume sailing’ but is instead ‘how can we develop a comprehensive restart protocol that will keep everyone on board, our crew and guests, safe and well and still give our guests an amazing holiday?’” said Paul Ludlow, president of P&O Cruises. 

“Unfortunately, as the world continues to adapt to this global crisis, we have made the decision, difficult as it is, to extend our pause in operations for all sailings up to and including October 15, 2020. We are so sorry for the disappointment this will cause to so many of our guests,” he said. 

P&O’s extension is yet another continued pause for a cruise line amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We have for years had in place many of the protocols now considered advisable for other social gathering venues, such as hand-sanitizing stations and rigorous cleaning and disinfecting procedures. We also have for years gone beyond those protocols by having guests complete a health declaration form and having a comprehensive medical facility on board each ship providing 24/7 medical care and treatment. During the recent crisis, we added robust health screening upon embarkation, starting with thermal scanning of guests and crew.

For more, visit P&O.

— CJ

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