… borders of Puerto Rico — “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has featured a Puerto Rican queen … ’s licenses and birth certificates.
Puerto Rico has also established anti-discriminatory … very commercialized.”
LGBTQ activists in Puerto Rico use the close-knit community …

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Holland America Line is returning to Tampa for the 2020 season for Caribbean cruises, the company said this week.

The cruise line will return to Port Tampa Bay for a “full season” including 18 cruises around the Caribbean on the company’s Veendam ship.

The roundtrip Tampa cruises will include stops in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala for the season, which will run from Nov. 2020 through March 2021.

“Port Tampa Bay is a fantastic homeport that opens up a wonderful ability to sail further west and south in the Caribbean for more diverse itinerary offerings,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “We’re excited to return to Tampa and give our guests an even wider selection of Caribbean cruises as well as provide a convenient drive market for cruisers along the west coast of Florida.”

Selected cruises will include a five-day cruise to Key West and Cozumel; a 14-day southern Caribbean cruise that stops in ports like St Kitts and Grand Cayman; and four different seven-day itineraries.

It’s yet another boost for Port Tampa Bay, which earlier this month saw the announced entry of MSC Cruises to the market.

— CJ

The post Holland America Returning to Tampa for Caribbean Cruises appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Fresh off the launch of the celebrated Orlando’s Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia has another new destination eatery.

The Caille Blanc Villa and Hotel has announced the debut of its new TreeTops restaurant.

The new eatery, the menu of which was crafted by leading chef Jeffrey “Cheffrey” Stella, will be open Thursday through Sunday evenings.

“From the first moment I came to Saint Lucia I was drawn to the flavors and colors of the spices on the island. Drawing from this wealth, I was able to help Caille Blanc Villa & Hotel’s restaurant TreeTops craft a menu of delicious meals and teach the staff to prepare them for an extraordinary dining experience,” Stella said in a statement.

“Caille Blanc has always strived to deliver a unique one of a kind experience to our guests, with the expansion of this restaurant TreeTops, we’re able to offer local visitors an opportunity to have an chic romantic dining experience while taking in our spectacular view of the Pitons and Caribbean,” said Alisa Coleman, the owner of the hotel.

The new menu will include everything from lionfish francese to a full Caribbean buffet on Friday evenings.

The six-suite hotel is set in the town of Soufriere in southern Saint Lucia.

For more, visit Caille Blanc.

— CJ

The post Another New Dining Destination Opens in Saint Lucia appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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… María’s devastating landfall on Puerto Rico, Senator Bernie Sanders (I- … of the needs of the Puerto Rican people; and put a … moratorium on any payments on Puerto Rican debt until an independent … . Do the 30,000 Puerto Ricans still living under tarps need …

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We can’t say it enough: The Bahamas is open for business, from Cat Island to Eleuthera, Harbour Island to Exuma, Bimini to Long Island.

But Nassau remains the country’s travel hub, its most complete — and popular — destination.

And while you may have been to Nassau before, you may not be familiar with its hidden gems, the small hotels that are a beautiful, very different way to experience the destination.

Whether you’re looking for a hip boutique luxury hotel, a rustic beach resort or a culinary Mecca, Nassau’s small hotels offer a marvelously diverse range of experiences for every kind of traveler.

These are our favorite small hotels in Nassau, Bahamas. (Note: all photos and video were shot on-location in mid-September 2019 after Dorian).

Yes, there’s a movie theater at a 30-room boutique hotel. And it’s glorious.

The Island House The newest boutique hotel in Nassau is a standout at the edge of tony Lyford Cay, a world-class hotel where you get boutique service and design with the sort of amenities that even large resorts aren’t creative enough to come up with. That means things like on-site squash courts, a co-working space and, yes, a complete cinema that shows first-run movies — along with an exceptional Bamford Spa. The 30-room (24 rooms and six suites) hotel, which first opened in 2015, bills itself as not just a place to stay, but a “gathering space” for the local community, and that emphasis on local engagement makes for an energetic, fun, place to stay. Hotels don’t get much cooler than this. Period.

The post The 7 Best Boutique Hotels in Nassau, Bahamas appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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