By Tim Cotroneo
CJ Contributor

Sandals revolutionized the region’s overwater experience when it debuted its overwater villas at the Sandals Royal Caribbean in Jamaica, the first-ever overwater bungalows in the English-speaking Caribbean.

And now they’re at it again, with another kind of overwater expansion, this time at the Sandals Montego Bay.

This is the new beach bar at the Sandals Montego Bay, and it’s the best place in Jamaica to make a grand entrance.

Thirsty customers stroll on to a boardwalk hovering above the Caribbean Sea to hoist a cold one under the Latitudes Over Water Bar’s palapa top.

The jaunt from the beach to your bar stool or hammock conveys an island time feeling that is topped only by the refreshing cocktails offered from the Latitudes drink menu.

Choose from funky rum favorites like Purple Rain, Dirty Banana, or the Lovers Leap.

Beer lovers can relate to Red Stripe, a Jamaican-home brewed ale since 1928.

For those desiring an overwater lunch, Sandals’ all-inclusive customers can bring jerk chicken, pork, and roasted fish in foil from the nearby Jerk Shack.

In the evening, Latitudes’ takes on a glowing ambiance under the stars complete with fire pits on either side of the bar’s walkway.

The Sandals Montego Bay resort in Jamaica.

Day or night, Latitudes promises to deliver great Caribbean Sea views and Montego Bay beach bar memories that will last a lifetime.

For more, visit Sandals Montego Bay.

— CJ

The post Discovering a New All-Inclusive Overwater Bar in Jamaica appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

It’s been a busy holiday cruise season for Port Castries in Saint Lucia.

The harbor has seen as much as five ships in port per day since the middle of December, officials told Caribbean Journal.

That included the first-ever visit by Ponant’s new Explorers-class ship, the 184-passenger luxury boutique ship Le Champlain, which departed its home port in Martinique with calls across the Eastern Caribbean.

Le Champlain’s visit included a berth in Rodney Bay.

The visit by Le Champlain is part of what is expected to be a “bustling” cruise season in 2019 — and could mean an increase over what was a record-setting cruise season in 2017-2018.

— CJ

The post Saint Lucia Seeing Increased Cruise Traffic appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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… pleased to announce that its Puerto Rico subsidiary, FFPR, LLC (“FFPR”), which … Avenue near the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras, the largest university … including California, Massachusetts, Florida, Maine, Puerto Rico and Newfoundland. The Company’s …

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

One of the most popular resorts in the U.S. Virgin Islands has completed its comeback, Caribbean Journal has learned.

The 59-room Point Pleasant Resort has officially returned in St Thomas, marking another important step in the island’s recovery efforts.

While the resort has reopened in a limited capacity at the end of 2017, it had embarked on a major repair and improvement project across the property.

The property consists of condominium-style units.

Now, the Point Pleasant is a “new and improved” resort, according to a statement from the property — while one thing has remained: the spectacular views.

Amenities at the property, which is close to the famous Coki Point beach, range from three swimming pools to two on-site restaurants: Shoreline and Mirador, with the latter a beloved brunch option on the island.

Room categories range from a ocean view suites to one-bedroom ocean view “villas” to two bedroom ocean view villas.

The resort is set on a 15-acre hillside preserve, about five minutes from Red Hook and one mile from the island’s Lindquist Beach (you may know it as the “Hannah Davis beach.”)

A one-bedroom ocean view villa at the Point Pleasant.

“We look forward to celebrating and sharing our beloved resort with new and returning guests,” the property said in a statement.

The Point Pleasant’s return adds to a growing portfolio of reopened hotels on the island, including the Bolongo Bay, the Frenchman’s Cove, Emerald Beach, Secret Harbour and the Margaritaville Vacation Club.

For more, visit the Point Pleasant.

— CJ

The post Point Pleasant Resort Officially Reopens in St Thomas appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Puerto Rico’s Rafael Hernandez International Airport in Aguadilla just set a record for passenger traffic in a calendar year.

Aguadilla is set on the northwest corner of the island of Puerto Rico.

The airport handled more than 600,000 passengers last year, the highest figure ever recorded at the airport — eclipsing the previous record of 519,751 passengers in 2016, according to Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello.

That increase meant an increase of more than $8.9 million in economic impact to the Porta del Sol area, the Governor said.

“I appreciate the work of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company that, together with other agencies, have made us today show ourselves to the world as an accessible, viable and developing tourist destination, ready to continue receiving the thousands of passengers that plan to visit us,” Rosselo said.

The record-breaking flight was a JetBlue flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

Aguadilla has seen increased attention from major carriers in recent years, including new flights from Orlando on Spirit and an expansion to two daily flights from Fort Lauderdale on JetBlue.

The post Puerto Rico’s Aguadilla Airport Just Set a Record appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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