By Alexander Britell

There’s a particular delight in the feeling of having found a destination before everyone else.

In the Caribbean, it’s something that’s not that easy to do anymore. Or is it?

Enter Grenada, the lush, gorgeous Eastern Caribbean island that’s just now finding itself in the spotlight, thanks to its intoxicating blend of beautiful beaches, diverse topography and a growing luxury hotel product that’s getting a major boost next month with the debut of the new Silversands hotel.

BBC Beach in Grenada.

But now’s the time to go, because Grenada is booming.

Last year, the island welcomed 146,359 stayover tourists, an eight percent increase that was one of the highest in the Caribbean.

That was buoyed by a 16 percent increase from the crucial United States market and a six percent jump from Canada.

“We are even more excited about the fact that Grenada is trending as a destination in the global tourism industry,” said Patricia Maher, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority. “The future for Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique looks bright.”

All these travelers have been drawn to an island that has something for everyone, from its place as the Caribbean capital of chocolate, to an impressive slate of local rums and a host of uncrowded, picture-perfect beaches, an impressive selection for a relatively small island.

And then there’s the varied hotel product, ranging from the luxe boutique Calabash, home to the island’s destination restaurant, Rhodes Restaurant (the brainchild of top British Chef Gary Rhodes) to the funky, authentic True Blue Bay resort to the all-inclusive Sandals LaSource Grenada.

Next month sees the debut of Silversands, a new kind of hotel for the island, ultra-chic and sleek, already a member of Leading Hotels of the World.

It’s part of a wave of new properties that also includes Kimpton’s second Caribbean property, Kawana Bay, set to open in 2019.

So what are you waiting for?

See more in the latest CJ video at the top of the page.

The post VIDEO: Why You Need to Visit Grenada Right Now appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Thinking of a Caribbean cruise out of Tampa? Carnival has you covered.

Carnival Cruise Line has kicked off a year-round program of seven-day Caribbean cruises from Tampa, doubling the line’s capacity at the port.

Carnival Miracle will offer the only year-round longer-length cruises from Port Tampa Bay, joining Carnival Paradise, which operates year-round cruises ranging from four to eight days from Tampa to the Caribbean, including Cuba.

“Carnival Cruise Line has been sailing from Tampa for nearly 25 years and we’re thrilled to add a second year-round ship to provide our guests with an even greater variety of fantastic cruise vacation choices from this convenient homeport,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.  “We would like to recognize our partners at Port Tampa Bay and the Tampa community, as well as our valued travel agent partners, for their efforts in making Tampa one of our most popular and successful embarkation ports.”

The seven-day sailings will include calls at four ports: Cozumel, Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands, Roatan and Belize.

Carnival also recently added new six-to-14-day sailings on Carnival Miracle heading to the Panama Canal.

The post Carnival Adds More Tampa-Caribbean Cruises appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

St Barth’s new Manapany Hotel by B Signature Hotels and Resorts is opening in March, Caribbean Journal has learned.

The 43-room eco-boutique in Anse des Cayes is welcoming guests beginning March 13. It had originally been scheduled to open in December before Hurricane Irma hit the island.

The property, which includes two pools (including one adults-only option), a beach restaurant, an oceanside spa and a bar, is set across 32 villas mixed on the beach and the hills.

It’s the newest addition to St Barth’s hotels, and one of few five-star options that will be availalble for much of this year.

It’s located on Anse de Cayes, east of Anse a Galets on the north coast of St Barth.

The post St Barth’s Manapany Eco-Boutique Opening in March appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Jamaica’s Half Moon resort has named a new director of brand and communications.

The iconic Montego Bay property has promoted Laura Redpath to the role, in which she will be responsible for Half Moon’s branding, marketing and communications, including PR, advertising and digital and social media marketing efforts.

The resort is currently in the process of a major transformation project called Legacy Reborn.

“We knew we had to have the right individual to develop and implement an innovative marketing and communications strategy that can take us into the next generation of Half Moon,” said Sandro Fabris, General Manager at Half Moon. “Laura is a valuable asset to our team and we are enthusiastic about the continued success under her leadership.”

Redpath, who joined Half Moon in 2015, had previously served as the resort’s marketing communications manager.

The post Jamaica’s Half Moon Names New Brand Director appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Jamaica has big plans for the town of Falmouth.

The country’s government is focused on developing Falmouth into a “world-class destination, where its rich culture and history are fully utilized,” according to Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

“This is a town that has a wealth of assets in terms of its culture, sites of interest and its architecture,” Holness said this week. “However what defines Falmouth best of all is its people.”

While Falmouth has largely been a cruise pier of late, the plan is to turn it into something more, backed by investments through the Port Authority of Jamaica.

The ultimate goal is to transform Falmouth “into what undoubtedly will be the gem of the Caribbean,” Holness said during a visit to the cruise ship pier.

“What we are trying to do with the PAJ and other agencies is to ensure that brand Jamaica is on full display where both locals and visitors can enjoy. It’s not that we want to create enclave investments. We want to make the entire town a place where both locals and visitors can enjoy world class facilities in an intelligently planned environment,” he said.

The post Jamaica Has Big Plans for Falmouth appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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