American Airlines has announced a series of changes to its schedule in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, including some adjustments in the wider Caribbean.

For a nearly two-month period from March 16 through May 6, the carrier is planning a major reduction in long-haul flights to the tune of a 75 percent decrease in capacity compared to the previous year. 

That comes “in response to decreased demand and changes to U.S. government travel restrictions due to coronavirus.”

While the long-haul reduction affects areas like Asia and Australia, American Airlines has announced far fewer modifications to its Latin America and Caribbean flight schedule during that period. 

American Airlines has announced the suspension of service from both New York and Miami to Georgetown, Guyana. 

Other flights in the wider Caribbean Basin region that have been suspended include Miami and Dallas to Bogota, along with suspension in service on routes to two destinations on the Caribbean coast of Colombia: Miami-Barranquilla and Miami-Cartagena, among others. 

That means few changes to the carrier’s massive flight network in the wider Caribbean region. 

Indeed, a survey of American Airlines’ website showed flights continuing on offer. 

American Airlines is for example, flying seven daily flights between Miami and Nassau, The Bahamas. 

Having said that, a number of countries are mobilizing to buffet against the spread of the virus by restricting travel from certain countries. 

Most notable is St Maarten, which will launch a restriction March 17 on travelers from the United States, Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland entering St Maarten. (That does not apply to visitors currently on neighboring islands or St Maarten scheduled to depart through Princess Juliana International Airport in the coming weeks. 

The restrictions are set to run for a two-week period, according to the office of the Prime Minister. 

“The restrictions do not apply to St. Maarten/St. Martin residents, nor residents of neighboring islands who transit through St. Maarten,” said St Maarten Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs. “All returning and transiting residents are reminded to continue to monitor themselves upon return and to notify their doctor should they start to show symptoms.”

Another destination, Haiti, has shut down most flights to the country and closed up its border with the neighboring Dominican Republic. 

— CJ

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I take a sip of the Rhum Saint James and I am instantly in Martinique. 

Therein lies the transportive power of rum, a, transcendent gift bequeathed to no other spirit in the world. 

There’s just something about rum, about Caribbean rum, about how it can take you away, even if for just a delightful, prolonged moment. 

There is of course a romantic quality about the rhum agricole of Martinique, about the dozen-odd distilleries that dot the French Caribbean island, some of just a few rums in the Caribbean that truly have a terroir. 

It’s something we’ve long said in these pages: when you try the agricole rums of the island you can truly taste Martinique. 

And my one-way ticket to Martinique on this night was in revisiting an old standard: the Rhum Saint James Tres Vieux Millesime 2000, one picked up years ago at Aime Cesaire Airport. 

This, Saint James says, is the result of the brand’s first harvest in Martinique in the new millennium, aged in small casks. 

The 43-degree rum has a slightly dark amber color, with an aroma of butterscotch and cane stalk. 

It’s marked by flavors of caramel, marzipan, with a hint of pepper and spice and an edge of anise. 

It’s been years since I tried it, when I remembered it as something far smokier; now, uncorked for half a decade, it’s more mellow, rounder. 

But it’s still the essence of Rhum Saint James: fine, elevated, and, most importantly, endlessly elegant. 

With each sip Martinique whispers, taps, lightly plays at the senses. 

This glass of rum transports you to the waving canes and the volcanoes, the sands, the ti’ punch rituals of the late morning, the bakeries of Fort-de-France, the banana fields on the eastern coast. 

In these uneasy times, there is great comfort to be found in a brief sugarcane-fueled vacation to the Caribbean.

Rum Journal Review

94 Points

— CJ

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Marriott, the world’s largest hotel company, has issued a statement addressing the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Marriott President and CEO Arne Sorenson told travelers that “we know travel may not be your first thought, but I want you to know the safety of our guests and associates is our top priority.”

The company said travelers should “have confidence when you book a stay at any of our hotels across the globe that we are doing everything we can to have accommodations ready for you.”

It was a no doubt uncomfortable but important note for Sorenson, as travel demand has unsurprisingly shrunk as the world looks to “flatten the curve” of the global pandemic. 

Sorenson said the company was closely monitoring the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the latest developments on the novel coronavirus. 

“We are reinforcing these agencies’ recommendations on the appropriate health and safety measures with our own hotel management teams and the hotel operators in our portfolio,” he said. 

Crucially, for guests with existing reservations, the CEO said changes could be made without a charge up to 24 hours before arrival, he said, so long as the change was made by April 30. 

For new reservations through the end of next month, the company said it would be allowing those reservations to be changed or canceled without charge up to one day before arrival. 

Marriott said it was working to “ensure” it was meeting the latest guidance from the CDC on cleaning and hygiene.

“Whenever you travel, we are waiting with open doors and open hearts to serve you,” Sorenson said. 

— CJ

The post Marriott CEO Issues Coronavirus Statement, Reveals Change Policy appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Cruise giant Royal Caribbean has announced the suspension of its cruises in the United States for 30 days, as the major cruise lines have shut down their regional operations in the midst of the growing coronavirus pandemic.

The move effectively shuts down cruises to the Caribbean region for at least the next month.

“We understand the gravity of the public health crisis confronting the country,” the company said in a statement, referring to the Coronavirus pandemic. And this is our part to play,” the company said. 

Royal Caribbean cruises officially paused at midnight on Friday. 

Cruises that had departed before that time continued their scheduled itineraries, however, with US-based ships already at sea concluding their itineraries as planned. 

“We are reaching out to our guests to help them work through this disruption to their vacations, and we are truly sorry for their inconvenience,” Royal Caribbean said. “We are also communicating with our crew to work out the issues this decision presents for them. We know this adds great stress to our guests, employees and crew, and we are working to minimize the disruption.”

Royal Caribbean (along with its umbrella of brands) s the latest major cruise operator to suspend operations amid the Coronavirus outbreak; another major carrier, MSC Cruises announced it would be suspending all Miami-Caribbean cruises from March 14-May 1, according to a statement from Port St Maarten.

Other cruise giants to suspend operations include Norwegian Cruise Line, which announced the move in a letter on Friday night, along with Costa Cruises, among others. Disney, too, has shut down its cruises.

Norwegian Cruise Line said it was planning to resume cruises beginning April 12. 

“The health, safety and well-being of our guests and crew is our highest priority. While we have not had any confirmed cases across our 17-ship fleet and are taking this measure in an abundance of caution, we felt it necessary to do our part,” NCL President and CEO Harry Sommer said. “Working closely and in partnership with local, state, federal and global agencies, we are committed to taking all appropriate steps and actions to combat the spread of COVID-19.”

Carnival was the latest line to announce a suspension, with plans to relaunch April 10.

The Carnival shutdown includes Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Cunard Line, among others.

A top boutique cruise operator, Windstar, announced it, too, would be pausing operations, with plans to resume May 1.

“Our business is providing great vacations and creating great memories. We look forward to getting back to work as soon as we can,” the company said. 

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