Spirit Airlines has continued its rapid Caribbean expansion with a major ramp-up of service to Cancun, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

The low-cost carrier has kicked off new nonstop flights to Cancun from five United States cities. 

That includes new flights to Cancun from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Austin, Nashville and Philadelphia. 

It means Spirit now operates a total of nine daily nonstop flights to Cancun International Airport, the most of any ultra-low-cost carrier, the company said. 

“Continuing our commitment to invest in the experience of our passengers, we are proud to inaugurate these five flights to key cities in the United States, providing them with more opportunities to meet new destinations with so much to offer our travelers,” said Camilo Martelo, director of international airports for Spirit. 

Cancun was actually Spirit’s first-ever international destination when the carrier began service to the Mexican Caribbean in 2003. 

The Cancun flights from Cleveland and Austin to Cancun will both operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. 

Nashville-Cancun and Pittsburgh-Cancun will both run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. 

The Philadelphia-Cancun flights will be daily service, according to a statement from Spirit Airlines.

The new nonstop flights “help to consolidate the position of [Cancun International Airport] as the most important in [Mexico],” said Carlos Trueba Coll, director of CIP. 

It’s a big boost for the airport, which recently turned around its traffic numbers after flat arrival growth for much of 2019, according to recently-released ASUR, the Mexican firm that operates the airport as part of its broad international portfolio.

And it’s another testament to the surging growth of the Mexican Caribbean at large, which continues to lead the region in new hotel development, from Cancun to fast-expanding Playa del Carmen to the upstart development center of Costa Mujeres, the so-called “New Cancun.”

— CJ

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Saint Lucia’s signature Bay Gardens Hotel has a new look. 

The property, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is set to complete a series of renovation projects. 

Executive Director of Bay Gardens Resorts Sanovnik Destang says the the property has a “new, fresher look” following “soft” refurbishments to its higher room categories. 

The changes to the rooms include a “modern look incorporating Caribbean blues and corals,” along with new drapery, artwork, cushions, bedside lamps, mats and throws. 

That’s along with the inclusion of new mattresses, wall-mounted smart TVs, ceiling fans and revamped bathrooms. 

It’s the latest change to what is the fastest-growing hotel collection in Saint Lucia.

“It’s a new decade and we will have a distinctively new look,” said Destang.

The Rodney Bay-area hotel has a total of 87 rooms. 

For more, visit the Bay Gardens Hotel.

The post Saint Lucia’s Bay Gardens Hotel Has a New Look appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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The latest Caribbean Photo comes from Caribbean Journal reader Amy Manns, who sent in this lovely shot of a Divi tree on Eagle Beach in Aruba. 

Have you taken a great photo in the Caribbean?

Send it to news@caribjournal.com with CPOTW in the subject line, including your first and last name and the location of the photo. 

It could be the next Caribbean Photo of the Week!

— CJ

The post Caribbean Photo of the Week: A Tree Grows in Aruba appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Staying in a villa is the ultimate St Barth vacation — it’s a way to experience the essence of what makes the island so unique. 

It means baguette breakfasts with nothing but you and sea blue; twilight rosé on the pool; and sunrise to sunset with St Barth’s unmatched serenity.

But there’s a new way to stay in St Barth — one that includes the comfort and luxury of a villa with the intimacy of a boutique hotel. 

It’s called the Romance Collection, and it’s the brainchild of villa company St Barth Properties.

The new Romance Collection is a curated portfolio of the company’s “most idyllic one-bedroom villas,” according to Tom Smyth, co-owner and vice president at St Barth Properies.

There are 10 villas in total, ranging from the beachy Genia villa in Marigot to Silhouette, a one-bedroom villa in Anse des Cayes with captivating views. 

“It’s the perfect pairing for couples,” Smyth told Caribbean Journal. 

And while they’re more intimate, they come with all of the luxe amenities you’d find in a larger St Barth villa.

That means the villas come with amenities like private pools, Wi-Fi, well-equipped kitchens, chic bathrooms and, most importantly, the kind of spectacular views that set St Barth villas apart from the rest. 

That’s without mentioning a St Barth Properties standard: daily maid service in every villa. 

Even better? Couples that stay for seven days or longer get a free 45-minute massage right inside the villas. 

It all adds up to a rather unique way to experience the French Caribbean’s most exclusive destination, a new spin on what remains one of the region’s great, truly unforgettable vacations.

For more, visit St Barth Properties’ Romance Collection. (And make sure you take Tradewind Aviation to get there).

— CJ

The post In St Barth, the Perfect Caribbean Vacation for Couples appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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