By the Caribbean Journal staff

While Hurricane Irma caused serious damage on the island of St Maarten, the organizers of the destination’s major Heineken Regatta say they will still hold next year’s regatta as planned.

The 2018 regatta is “still on for 2018,” organizers wrote in a statement.

Next year will be the 38th edition of the St Maarten Heineken Regatta, which last year brought together sailors from more than 35 countries on boats ranging from sailing Maxis to holidaymakers on chartered bareboats.

Although high numbers of yachts have been destroyed in St Maarten, much of the marine infrastructure is still intact.

The St Maarten Yacht Club’s main building remained intact, though docks, decks and other structures were damaged.

The regatta is scheduled to take place March 1-4, 2018.

The post St Maarten Heineken Regatta “Still On” for 2018 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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As the Caribbean works to recover from last month’s hurricanes, (a process that is already taking shape), one of the biggest questions we hear from travelers is, “where can I still visit?” Or, for some, “can I still visit the Caribbean?”

There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and it’s a misperception that isn’t helping the Caribbean.

With this list, we wanted to show travelers the remarkable breadth of islands you can still visit right now in the Caribbean. And while there are 30 here, this isn’t even all of them.

As our hearts remain with those in the affected islands, it’s important to remember that the whole Caribbean economy relies on travelers like you coming back to the region — and coming back soon. And while things look difficult for some islands now, remember that places like Dominica, the BVI and USVI, Puerto Rico, Anguilla, St Barth, St Martin and Barbuda will be back and ready for visitors far sooner than you think. And that’s when they’ll need you to come back again.

Here are 30 Caribbean islands you can visit right now, listed in alphabetical order. And starting traveling again right now.

Antigua With 365 beaches, this increasingly hot destination has long been a celebrity favorite, with a particularly good selection of upscale beach resorts.

The post 30 Caribbean Islands You Can Visit Right Now appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

A major resort in St Maarten has announced plans to reopen next spring.

The Divi Little Bay Beach Resort in St Maarten has confirmed it will reopen in May 2018 after suffering damage from the impact of Hurricane Irma.

“Although, optimistically, it was Little Bay’s sincere desire to announce a reopening for high season 2018,” said Marco Galaverna, President and COO of Divi Resorts. “Unfortunately, once our engineers, construction and IT were on the ground in St. Maarten and could complete a full assessment of the property, it was confirmed that most units sustained some sort of damage.”

The property said there was a need for “substantial repair and reconstruction in order to provide owners and guests with accommodations equal to, or superior than those available prior to these storms.”

“We want to assure every one of Divi Little Bay’s commitment to seeing this beautiful island and amazing location flourish and come back to life.  Not just as it was before, but even better,” Galaverna said.

The post St Maarten’s Divi Little Bay Resort to Reopen in May 2018 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Alexander Britell

The tiny island of St Barth has been recovering from last month’s hurricanes at a breakneck pace.

And now there’s even better news: you can spend your Thanksgiving vacation there, according to Nils Dufau, president of the St Barth Tourism Committee.

The island will start taking cruise visitors on Oct. 30, but a number of hotels will be ready for guests by Thanksgiving.

The renewed streets of Gustavia.

The group of accommodations that plan to be open by Thanksgiving includes Sunset, Ti Morne, Tom Beach, Le Village St Barth, Les Ilets de la Plage, Auberge de Terre Neuve, Village Lodge 4 Epices, Baie des Anges, Les Ondines, Saline Garden, Les Sucriers and L Nid D’Aigle.

The news comes after Tradewind Aviation, which flies to St Barth out of San Juan, resumed its St Barth flights this week.

“After a surge of exemplary solidarity, which permitted the treatment of emergencies, the clearing of roads, the gradual return of water and electricity to the neighborhoods, a multitude of new actions were launched for the reconstruction of the island,” Dufau said.

Many restaurants, bars and shops have already reopened, and rental agencies and villa owners are working to get their product on stream as well.

Tourism officials also said major nautical events like the Bucket Regatta and Les Voiles de St Barth will be held as planned.

“The task seems daunting for some, but we will not give up,” Dufau said.

The post Yes, You Can Spend This Thanksgiving in St Barth appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

In a major boost for the region, all British Airways flights between the Caribbean and London are operating regularly.

“Our flights are back to normal between the Caribbean and London,” a spokesperson for the airline told Caribbean Journal in a statement.

The news comes after operations had been suspended to several airports in the aftermath of Hurricanes Maria and Irma.

British Airways flies across the Caribbean from London to destinations including Antigua, The Bahamas, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, St Kitts, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and Turks and Caicos.

The post British Airways: Caribbean Flights Back to Normal appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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