By the Caribbean Journal staff

Holland America Line’s newest cruise ship is coming to the Caribbean.

The company’s brand-new Nieuw Statendam will launch its inaugural Caribbean season beginning in December 2018, according to a statement.

The ship will spend the winter, holiday and spring seasons cruising roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale.

That will include three or four day Bahamas cruises, seven-day eastern or western Caribbean sailings and one 10-day southern Caribbean itinerary.

All of the ship’s cruises will include a call at Holland America Line’s Half Moon Cay private island.

The ship is due for delivery on Dec. 1, 2018, currently under construction in Italy.

The 2,666-guest ship is the latest addition to the line’s Pinnacle class.

The post Holland America’s Newest Ship Is Coming to the Caribbean appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

The initial phase of one of the Caribbean’s most anticipated tourism developments has officially launched.

The Puntarena development, billed as the Puntacana of the southern Dominican Republic, has unveiled its new “Casa Club Puntarena,” a luxury beach club.

The beach club is home to a restaurant, bar, kitchen and a spectacular terrace and pool with a panoramic view of the sea.

Also this week, Puntarena broke ground on the initial hotel phase of its project, a boutique beach hotel, with Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina on hand for the ceremony.

The hotel project will begin with 90 rooms.

Puntarena is the brainchild of Grupo Puntacana’s Frank Ranieri, who is also the CEO of Puntarena.

The post Dominican Republic’s Puntarena Opens Beach Club appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Former United States President Bill Clinton paid a visit to the Caribbean this week, traveling to both the United States Virgin Islands and Dominica.

Clinton was in the Caribbean to see first hand the islands’ recovery efforts in the wake of last year’s hurricanes.

The trip began with a stop in St Thomas, where Clinton visited a nonprofit and a medical center, followed by a trip to nearby St John, where he visited the only public school on the island.

Clinton’s Dominica trip included a meeting with Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and stops in the village of Pichelin and the Soufriere Primary School.

The Dominica trip was headlined by the announcement of a partnership between the Clinton Foundation and the government of Dominica to help make Dominica the “first climate-resilient country on earth,” according to Skerrit.

It’s the second Caribbean trip in recent months for Clinton, who also visited Puerto Rico shortly after Hurricane Maria last year.

The post Former US President Bill Clinton Visits Dominica, US Virgin Islands appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

The latest Caribbean Photo of the Week winner is Caribbean Journal reader Russell Smith, who sent in this superb shot from Princess Margaret Beach on the island of Bequia in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Have you taken a great photo in the Caribbean?

Send it to news@caribjournal.com with CPOTW in the subject line, including your first and last name and the location of the photo.

It could be the next one!

— CJ

The post Caribbean Photo of the Week: Princess Margaret Beach, Bequia appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Riu Palace Paradise Island in the Bahamas is now officially open, Riu Hotels announced this week.

The adults-only, all-inclusive resort on Paradise Island’s Cabbage Beach has undergone a total transformation.

The property-wide upgrade included the addition of new walk-in showers, new flooring in the guest rooms, a new 24-hour lounge, a patisserie and ice cream parlor, a gym, a theater, a jerk grill station and an Indian restaurant called Chutney.

Riu also added free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.

It becomes the second adults-only property on Paradise Island, joining the Warwick Paradise Island.

The post Adults-Only Riu Palace Paradise Island Is Now Open appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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