By the Caribbean Journal staff

Holland America Line is returning to Tampa for the 2020 season for Caribbean cruises, the company said this week.

The cruise line will return to Port Tampa Bay for a “full season” including 18 cruises around the Caribbean on the company’s Veendam ship.

The roundtrip Tampa cruises will include stops in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala for the season, which will run from Nov. 2020 through March 2021.

“Port Tampa Bay is a fantastic homeport that opens up a wonderful ability to sail further west and south in the Caribbean for more diverse itinerary offerings,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “We’re excited to return to Tampa and give our guests an even wider selection of Caribbean cruises as well as provide a convenient drive market for cruisers along the west coast of Florida.”

Selected cruises will include a five-day cruise to Key West and Cozumel; a 14-day southern Caribbean cruise that stops in ports like St Kitts and Grand Cayman; and four different seven-day itineraries.

It’s yet another boost for Port Tampa Bay, which earlier this month saw the announced entry of MSC Cruises to the market.

— CJ

The post Holland America Returning to Tampa for Caribbean Cruises appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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… María’s devastating landfall on Puerto Rico, Senator Bernie Sanders (I- … of the needs of the Puerto Rican people; and put a … moratorium on any payments on Puerto Rican debt until an independent … . Do the 30,000 Puerto Ricans still living under tarps need …

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We can’t say it enough: The Bahamas is open for business, from Cat Island to Eleuthera, Harbour Island to Exuma, Bimini to Long Island.

But Nassau remains the country’s travel hub, its most complete — and popular — destination.

And while you may have been to Nassau before, you may not be familiar with its hidden gems, the small hotels that are a beautiful, very different way to experience the destination.

Whether you’re looking for a hip boutique luxury hotel, a rustic beach resort or a culinary Mecca, Nassau’s small hotels offer a marvelously diverse range of experiences for every kind of traveler.

These are our favorite small hotels in Nassau, Bahamas. (Note: all photos and video were shot on-location in mid-September 2019 after Dorian).

Yes, there’s a movie theater at a 30-room boutique hotel. And it’s glorious.

The Island House The newest boutique hotel in Nassau is a standout at the edge of tony Lyford Cay, a world-class hotel where you get boutique service and design with the sort of amenities that even large resorts aren’t creative enough to come up with. That means things like on-site squash courts, a co-working space and, yes, a complete cinema that shows first-run movies — along with an exceptional Bamford Spa. The 30-room (24 rooms and six suites) hotel, which first opened in 2015, bills itself as not just a place to stay, but a “gathering space” for the local community, and that emphasis on local engagement makes for an energetic, fun, place to stay. Hotels don’t get much cooler than this. Period.

The post The 7 Best Boutique Hotels in Nassau, Bahamas appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Royal Caribbean is set for a $110 million transformation project on its Explorer of the Seas cruise ship, the company said this week.

The newly-revamped ship, which will debut in 2020, will add a new waterslide, a “resort-style” poolscape and a new poolside bar, among other amenities.

That will also include a new Johnny Rockets Express; a standalone Starbucks coffee shop; a sports bar called Playmakers and the cruise line’s new Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen.

After a summer season in Europe, Explorer of the Seas will head to the Caribbean.

Royal will be operating five and nine-night Eastern and Southern Caribbean cruises out of PortMiami, including a number of stops at the company’s new private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, which opened earlier this year in The Bahamas.

The ship is the fourth in Royal Caribbean’s Voyager Class to be revamped, part of a wider $1 billion fleet enhancement project.

That project will ultimately cover 10 ships over the course of four years.

For more, visit Royal Caribbean.

— CJ

The post Royal Caribbean’s New Cruises on Explorer of the Seas appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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… off Puerto Rico coast
ISABELA, Puerto Rico — A 6.0-magnitude earthquake shook Puerto Rico Monday … miles north-northwest of Isabela, Puerto Rico, around 11:23 p.m …

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