It’s no secret that Puerto Rico is in the midst of a full-fledged airlift boom, and now the island will soon be getting more new daily nonstop flights, Caribbean Journal has learned.

Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines, which kicked off a broad expansion of its service to Puerto Rico in the fall, is planning to add another daily nonstop flight to Puerto Rico out of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. 

Beginning May 21, Spirit will double its flight service from Baltimore to Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico’s capital of San Juan. 

That will mean two daily flights between Baltimore and Puerto Rico. 

In a statement, Spirit said the move is “in recognition of the route’s exceptionally strong performance.”

It also comes less than a year after Spirit first launched its route from Baltimore to San Juan. 

“Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) is a key component of the Spirit’s route network,” Spirit Airlines Vice President of Network Planning John Kirby said.

The planned expansion only reinforces what is already one of the strongest Puerto Rico flight networks of any carrier. 

And it also continues Puerto Rico’s continued momentum in attracting new airlift, with a host of major carriers expanding their routes to the island, from travel giants like Delta Air Lines to upstarts like Frontier Airlines. 

Puerto Rico’s tourism sector has largely recovered from last month’s earthquakes (a sentiment echoed by Discover Puerto Rico CEO Brad Dean writing in Caribbean Journal) which were largely concentrated in areas like Ponce that are not traditionally the island’s travel hubs (at least not yet)

It all adds up to what is a very positive trend for Puerto Rico — air carriers do their homework when they launch new routes, and continued bets like these by leading air carriers means they see strength (and demand) in Puerto Rico’s tourism sector. 

Now, it’s on Puerto Rico’s hotel developers to make sure there is hotel stock to meet the rising demand.

The post More Daily Nonstop Flights Are Coming to Puerto Rico appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Luxury cruise line Regent Seven Seas has taken delivery of its newest cruise ship, Seven Seas Splendor. 

The 735-foot-long, 55,254-gross-ton ship will be making its maiden voyage to Miami this week before launching a series of itineraries in the Caribbean Basin. 

That will include a pair of Panama Canal crossings and a Southern Caribbean cruise that will start in Miami and end in New York City. 

The new ship will include five eateries, three bars and lounges and what the company says is an art collection valued at $5 million. 

“Wherever you turn on Seven Seas Splendor, you will be surrounded by elegance, comfort and hospitality,” said Jason Montague, president and chief executive officer of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “Luxury travelers have anticipated this stunning new ship for more than two years.”

The ship will have capacity for 750 guests in 375 suites, ranging from 307 square feet to nearly 4,500 square feet. 

“Quality is a hallmark of both Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Fincantieri, and it has been our privilege to construct this important and remarkable ship that reflects Fincantieri’s extensive abilities and its reference presence in the luxury cruise segment, a unique and competitive market niche in the shipbuilding industry,” said Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager, Fincantieri Merchant Ships Division.

The debut of Seven Seas Splendor comes as there is increased competition in the luxury cruise space, most notably from the soon-to-launch Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. 

— CJ

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For the first time ever, JetBlue is now flying to the French Caribbean. 

The New York City-based carrier officially kicked off its new nonstop flights to Guadeloupe this weekend, with thrice-weekly service out of New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. 

The new flights also represent the only scheduled service from the northeastern United States to the French Caribbean. 

“As we advance our targeted focus city build-out plans, Guadeloupe allows us to diversify our route map and introduce JetBlue customers to this unique island destination,” said Andrea Lusso, director route planning, JetBlue. “At the same time, we are solidifying our leading position in the Caribbean with the only service between the French Caribbean island and the northeast.”

JetBlue will be operating the flights on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays for the winter tourist season. 

“We could not be more thrilled about the new nonstop air service with JetBlue to Pointe-à-Pître,” said Ary Chalus, President of the Regional Council of Guadeloupe. “As the leading airline in the Caribbean Region, JetBlue is the ideal partner and both of our teams are dedicated to the success of the route.”

JetBlue is running the flights on Airbus A320 aircraft, though it will not for now be including its premium Mint cabin service, something the company has begun rolling out on a host of Caribbean routes. It’s a significant boost for an Eastern Caribbean archipelago that, despite its vast, diverse tourism offering, still remains largely a mystery for most American travelers. 

The new flights will help tourists discovers its unique charms, from an impressive culinary culture to one of the Caribbean’s great rum destinations to Les Saintes, acharming getaway that’s often dubbed a “mini St Barth.”

The new flights come as Guadeloupe’s most popular destination, the island of Grande-Terre, has seen a massive renovation of its signature Club Med resort, along with a rise to five-star status by the La Toubana boutique hotel. 

It all means that Guadeloupe is in the midst of an exciting tourism push — and that JetBlue continue to set its sights on the Eastern Caribbean in a big way.

“We are delighted we were able to maintain a connection between New York and Pointe-à-Pître as this route is crucial for the development of our archipelago, said Alain Bièvre, Chairman of the Board of Guadeloupe’s Pôle Caraibe Airport, which is itself planning a series of expansion projects “We are convinced that American travelers will leave Guadeloupe with lifetime memories and come back again and again.”

‚— CJ

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