By the Caribbean Journal staff

Carnival Cruise Line has big plans in Port Canaveral.

The cruise giant has officially broken ground on a new $163 million cruise complex called Cruise Terminal 3.

The new terminal, called the “Launch Pad,” will be the homeport for Carnival’s upcoming Marid Gras ship beginning in 2020.

The project, the largest in the history of Port Canaveral, is slated for completion in May 2020. “Mardi Gras,” named to celebrate Carnival’s first-ever cruise ship, will launch year-round Caribbean cruises in the terminal in October 2020.

“We began our operations from Port Canaveral nearly 30 years ago – coincidentally with our original ship of the same name. We’ve had a great relationship with Port Canaveral during that time and we’re proud, honored and excited that our newest and most innovative ship, Mardi Gras, will sail from the new Terminal 3.  We are pleased to be the port’s number one cruise line and Mardi Gras promises to be a spectacular addition to the Space Coast,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival.

The 187,000-square-foot, two-story facility will include modern check in, seating for 1,700 guests and a “high-tech baggage processing facility,” among other amenities.

“The trust and confidence we’ve earned with our great cruise partner has been the foundation of success and we are excited for what the future holds. We’re building a great new terminal, for an innovative new ship, and looking forward to welcoming home Mardi Gras,” said Port Canaveral CEO John Murray.

— CJ

The post Carnival Breaks Ground on $163M Port Canaveral Complex appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Alexander Britell

Buoyed by increased airlift and sizzling hotel development, St Kitts and its sister island of Nevis are seeing a surge in tourism so far in 2019.

The destination has seen a 15.3 percent increase in air arrivals through the first two months of the year, according to new data from the Ministry of Tourism.

That includes a 19.3 percent jump in arrivals from North America, long the largest source market for St Kitts and Nevis.

The Park Hyatt St Kitts.

“I am extremely pleased to see such strong increases in air passenger arrivals to our Federation for 2018 continuing into peak season 2019,” said Tourism Minister Lindsay Grant. “These numbers are a clear indication that we are gaining momentum towards reaching our goal of 150,000 stayover visitors in the next few years.”

The growth comes as more and more air carriers are either adding new flights or expanding their service to St Kitts’ Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport.

In December, Sun Country added new flights from Minneapolis, while United is running twice-weekly flights from Newark for the season.

Cockleshell Bay in St Kitts.

In May, American Airlines will be launching new service from Dallas to St Kitts on Saturdays.

“We redoubled our marketing efforts in the fourth quarter of last year specifically to support our additional peak season air service and these numbers demonstrate that we have achieved very successful results,” said Racquel Brown, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. “With the milestone airlift arrivals recorded for 2018 and performance last year in the months of March and June nearing 30 percent growth over the same months in 2017, the significant growth measured so far in 2019 signals a rising demand for St. Kitts as a highly desirable travel destination.”

It’s a period of growth that began in earnest with the late-2017 debut of the Park Hyatt St Kitts, a halo hotel for the destination that brought the island to a new level in the luxury travel ecosystem. (That hotel was named Caribbean Hotel of the Year in last year’s Caribbean Travel Awards.)

That’s along with the growing success of the Belle Mont Farm eco-hotel, which has created a new tourism pole in the north of the island.

Brown said the destination is looking to reach the 150,000-stayover-guest number by 2021.

— CJ

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Jamaica Tourist Board has a new marketing director to lead its digital-focused push.

Donovan White, Jamaica’s Director of Tourism, has announced the appointment of Camile Glenister as the JTB’s new Deputy Director of Tourism for Marketing.

Glensiter recently assumed the new role.

“We are pleased to welcome Camile to the Jamaica Tourist Board team,” White said in a statement. “Given our strong digital push, we believe her appointment is timely and will help us utilize the various technologies with greater effectiveness to meet our desired marketing goals. As an experienced digital marketer, Camile’s expertise will be key as we strive to be more aggressive in the branding of our destination in a highly globalized and technology-driven world.” 

Glenister most recently served as regional manager at Scotiabank with responsibility for international marketing within the Caribbean region.

— CJ

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By Alexander Britell

What has quickly become one of the Caribbean’s hottest hotel markets has added another new property to its portfolio.

The Cayman Islands has welcomed the debut of a new boutique hotel called Locale, Grand Cayman, a 42-room boutique set in the heart of the popular Seven Mile Beach corridor.

The project is by HHG Advisory Services, part of a company that has also developed Grand Cayman’s Margaritaville Beach Resort and the in-construction Grand Hyatt Grand Cayman.

The hotel is a new kind of offering for Cayman and for the Caribbean at large, aiming to be a “hybrid between comfort and productivity for the ultimate live, play and work experience,” according to the company.

It’s also decidedly high tech, from Smart TVs in the rooms to ultra-fast Wi-Fi to an Alexa-powered personal assistant concierge in every room.

“You won’t find any overpriced mini bars or dull common spaces here,” said Howard Sitzer, co-founder of HHG Advisory Services. “Perfect for work and play, our rooms have a distinct personality interconnected by a common mindset which encourages guests to ‘live local, stay Locale.’”

The hotel has a mix of “King Lofts,” which include king-sized beds, living areas, 55-inch smart televisions, modern bathrooms, kitchenettes and a lofted seating area “to work or lounge,” along with “double queen” rooms that feature two beds, a kitchenette and a 55-inch screen.

The rooms also feature bay window seating, high-definition TV and mini fridges and microwaves.

The menu at the Bonfire Urban Italian eatery.

The new launch is part of a wider global hospitality trend toward locally-focused, millennial-friendly hotels aimed at fostering more of a “community” mindset.

“Our shared common spaces with fast free Wi-Fi and open plan design tie our community together,” said Michael Wilkings, co-founder of HHG Advisory Services.

That includes the “Hangout” lobby, featuring everything from glasses of wine at the end of the day to a library nook.

The hotel also includes a pool, outdoor fitness equipment, “beach kits” with inflatable chairs and towels and free daily breakfast at the hotel’s on-site Bonfire Urban Italian Kitchen, which serves up “affordable gourmet-casual Italian cuisine.”

The property is a five-minute walk from Seven Mile Beach.

For more, visit Locale.

— CJ

The post The Cayman Islands Has a New, High-Tech Boutique Hotel appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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