By the Caribbean Journal staff

Riu Hotels is readying for the relaunch of its significantly expanded Riu Santa Fe in Los Cabos, Mexico.

The family-friendly Los Cabos all-inclusive property, which will unveil its transformation on April 21, added everything from a seventh swimming pool (one that includes a swim-up bar) to the company’s second Splash Water World aquatic park in Mexico.

Riu has also added another main restaurant, Medano, which will be a buffet offering show cooking facilities as well.

Riu has also hadded a new bar, “Wet and Drink,” which will be the on-site bar at the Splash Water Park, along with a new snack bar.

But the centerpiece of the project is the addition of 288 new rooms, supplementing Riu Santa Fe’s existing 901 guest rooms — for a total of 1190 rooms.

Riu had already completed a renovation at the Santa Fe’s sister property in Los Cabos, the Hotel Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas, in 2016.

The post Riu Set to Debut Expanded Los Cabos All-Inclusive appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Carnival Cruise Line has announced plans for a major expansion of Cuba cruises.

The company has added another 20 cruises to Cuba on in its Carnival Paradise ship out of Tampa.

The new cruises, which will begin operations in 2019, will complement Carnival’s existing 11 cruises to Cuba.

Carnival had already announced another 17 cruises to Cuba on Carnival Sensation sailing out of Miami in 2019.

“Our Cuba cruises have been met with phenomenal guest response since we began sailing to the island last year and we’re thrilled to add yet another 20 voyages to this fascinating and sought-after destination,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

The new five-day Cuba cruises on Carnival Paradise will depart Tampa on Saturdays and include either a day-long or full day and overnight call to Havana, along with stops in Key West and Cozumel.

The post Carnival Plans Big Expansion of Cuba Cruises appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

One of the Caribbean’s fastest-growing regional airlines has launched another big expansion.

Turks and Caicos-based InterCaribbean Airways has officially begun operating its new service from Dominica to Tortola.

Flights between Dominica and Tortola will operate Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, while Tortola-Dominica flights will be running on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays.

InterCaribbean has also launched Dominica-St Lucia flights, which will operate Mondays Thursdays and Sundays with inbound flights on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.

The service will operate through mid-November, according to the company.

“interCaribbean is giving Dominicans new choices to fly to and from Dominica and more connections to more places, the service is very timely and very welcome,” said Colin Piper, Dominica’s Director of Tourism. “We look forward to the launch and anticipation of service to further islands.”

Even better? It creates the opportunity for one of the great island hopping getaways — the natural wonders of Dominica, combined with the spectacular beaches of the British Virgin Islands.

The post InterCaribbean Launches New Dominica-Tortola Flights appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Even in the face of heightened travel warnings, Cancun continues to see a surge in visitor activity.

Cancun International Airport reported a total of 2.08 million passengers in March, a 14.5 percent increase in traffic compared to the same month in 2017.

And it wasn’t just internal traffic — Cancun Airport reported a 10.7 percent jump in international traffic, with a total of 1.56 million passengers in the month, according to the latest data from Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, or ASUR, which manages Cancun’s hub.

Last year, Cancun’s airport reported total traffic of 5.97 million, a 9.6 percent increase over the previous year.

The post Cancun Airport Sees Traffic Surge appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

It’s an almost corner of St Barth, another way to see this jewel of the Caribbean.

It’s not pretentious, free of attitude. It’s you and the beach, from your own private bungalow.

Yes, in the heart of one of the Caribbean’s greatest luxury destinations is a classic beach bungalow hotel.

And it’s open again.

The island’s post-Irma recovery has continued with this month’s relaunch of the Les Mouettes boutique hotel.

The tiny Les Mouettes is made up of a charming little collection of seven air-conditioned one-bedroom, one-bathroom bungalows, all of which include their own terrace kitchenettes, Wi-Fi, phones, and most of which are on the beach or the edge of the sand.

“Finally, after seven months of hard work the hotel is now reopened,” the L’orient-area beachfront property announced on Facebook.

Long one of the island’s closely-guarded secrets, Les Mouettes is a portal to the Old St Barth, the barefoot-chic French Caribbean fishing village that was St Barth in the beginning, the place where a morning starts best with a ti’ punch, and an evening just lazing on the terrace.

The latest in a line of St Barth hotels to make their returns, including Le Village (long a CJ favorite), the wonderful little Les Ilets de la Plage and the reimagined Manapany, among others.

But it’s every bit St Barth, meaning all of the wonderful sophistication, culture, charm and beauty are within easy reach.

That is, if you ever want to leave the beach.

(And even better? They’re one of the island’s best values, with rates of beachfront bungalows starting at just € 150

in the summer).

For more info, visit Les Mouettes.

— CJ

The post How to Stay in a Beach Bungalow in St Barth appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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