SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) field operations officers in Puerto Rico on Sunday discovered 7.9 kilograms (17.4 pounds) of cocaine concealed in a passenger’s carry-on luggage arriving from St Thomas, US Virgin Islands. The estimated value of…

Powered by WPeMatico

Are you a diver? Then you may want to book a trip to St Lucia this fall.

The Eastern Caribbean island is hosting its first-ever Dive Fest, aimed at strengthening St Lucia’s position in the diving sector.

The festival, which will take place Sept. 10-17, aims to celebrate St Lucia’s undersea beauty.

The festival, which is being hosted by the Saint Lucia Dive Association, includes a pair of competitions: the Photographic Competition and the Treasure Hunt.

A number of the island’s hotels are also offering special packages for Dive Fest, from Cap Maison to Capella Marigot Bay to Windjammer Landing, with some offering significant savings off regular rates.

The festival is highlighting 22 dive sites across the island.

For the full list of sites, see below:

1.    Saline Point
2.    Smugglers Cove
3.    Bird’s Rock
4.    Pigeon Island
5.    Berger Rock
6.    La Roche (The Rock)
7.    Bone Yard
8.    Anse La Raye Wall
9.    Virgin’s Cove
10.    Anse Chochon (N)
11.    Lesleen M Wreck
12.    Roseman’s Trench
13.    Anse Chochon (S)
14.    Daini Koyomaru Wreck
15.    Turtle Reef
16.    Anse Chastanet
17.    Fairyland
18.    Grand Caille
19.    Keyhole Pinnacles
20.    Superman’s Flight
21.    Coral Gardens
22.    Piton Wall

The post This Caribbean Island Is Hosting a Dive Fest appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

Marriott’s AC hotel brand is coming to the Caribbean with the new AC Hotel San Juan.

The new property has broken ground at 1369 Ashford Avenue in San Juan’s active Condado neighborhood.

The property will take over at the former Radisson Ambassador Plaza & Casino, following what Marriott called a “comprehensive renovation of the property.”

The hotel had been acquired by Ashford 1369 Hospitality LLC, an affiliate of Interlink.

The site’s upgrade will be led by Interlink Construction for an estimated total investment of $45 million.

“We are thrilled to announce the first AC Hotel for Puerto Rico, where there is a growing population of next-generation travelers who prioritize design and value when choosing a hotel,” said Andrew Houghton, Area Vice President for the Caribbean and Latin America for Marriott International. “This new hotel reaffirms the company’s commitment to Puerto Rico.”

The hotel will include 233 guest rooms, of which 48 will be suites.

The property will also include a rooftop swimming pool and lounge, meeting rooms, a fitness center, a restaurant and a lounge.

“We are very excited with this new venture which continues to grow our special relationship with Marriott,” emphasized Federico Sánchez-Ortiz, President & CEO of Interlink, the AC Hotel San Juan project developers. “We are confident that the AC Hotel San Juan in Condado will be a key addition to the continued emergence of San Juan as a world renowned tourism destination.”

AC Hotels by Marriott is planning a major expansion, with 91 hotels in the pipeline.

The hotel brand was founded in 1998 by Antonio Catalan; the company formed a joint venture with Marriott in 2011.

The post Marriott to Open AC Hotel in Puerto Rico appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

WASHINGTON, USA — The National Puerto Rican Coalition (NPRC) has denounced US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew’s “alarmist rhetoric” about the Obama administration’s July 1 deadline for Senate passage of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic…

Powered by WPeMatico

JetBlue is continuing its fast-paced Caribbean expansion with a number of new flights to the Dominican Republic.

The New York City-based carrier has launched new flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport to both Puerto Plata and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

The expanded JFK-Puerto Plata flights will be operating through Sept. 6 on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, with return flights operating on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays.

JetBlue is also expanding its New York service to the Dominican Republic’s tourism capital of Punta Cana, with a new daily flight addition that will be operating through mid-August.

Punta Cana

JetBlue is the largest carrier to the Dominican Republic.

And it remains the fastest-growing airline in the Caribbean region, with a large-scale ramping-up of flights across the Caribbean, with both new routes and new destinations, from Barbados to Grenada to Antigua.

That has come as the carrier has also begun rolling out its Mint premium cabin service on several flights from the Northeast to the Caribbean, including both Barbados and Aruba.

The post JetBlue Expanding Flights to the Dominican Republic appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico