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These 20 Laid-Back Beach Resorts Deliver a Caribbean Vacation Right on the Sand

beach at grand case beach club

You wake up, you head for the sand. Then you do it again. Some Caribbean vacation aren’t about striking statements or grand gestures. They’re not always about luxury — or, that is to say, they’re about another kind of luxury: the perfect beach day.  It’s that feeling of stepping onto warm sand with nothing on […]

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Holland America Returning to Tampa for Caribbean Cruises

veendam caribbean

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 […]

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MSC Is Adding Caribbean Cruises From Tampa

msc cruises caribbean cover

By the Caribbean Journal staff Fast-expanding MSC Cruises is adding Tampa as its newest homeport, the company said in a statement. Beginning in Nov. 2020, MSC will be sailing from Tampa to the Caribbean, Mexico and The Bahamas year-round. That will include a full winter season through April and a summer season from May through […]

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Rum Journal: Papa’s Pilar “The Lost Cask”

papas pilar rum lost cask 1

The barrels were an afterthought, hidden away in the corner of the rum factory. And while they were few in number, these “lost” barrels held something rather special. And now Papa’s Pilar, the rum brand named for Ernest Hemingway’s fishing boat that continues to put out inspired, innovative and just plain satisfying rum blends out […]


MSC Is Adding Caribbean Cruises From Tampa

By the Caribbean Journal staff Silver Airways, the Fort Lauderdale-based airline that is now one of the Caribbean’s biggest airlines, has officially launched its newest ATR-600 series aircraft. The new aircraft has been accompanied by what the company says is a “complete operational and customer service transformation.” The new plane, which kicked off service on […]

The Renaissance of Frederiksted, St Croix

By Alexander Britell Something is happening in Frederiksted. This historic town on the western edge of the island of St Croix in the US Virgin Islands has long lived in the shadow of its bigger, more famous twin, Christiansted, on the eastern half of the island. But that’s beginning to change, thanks to in large […]

Carnival Plans Big Expansion of Cuba Cruises

By the Caribbean Journal staff Carnival Cruise Line has announced plans for a major expansion of Cuba cruises. The company has added another 20 cruises to Cuba on in its Carnival Paradise ship out of Tampa. The new cruises, which will begin operations in 2019, will complement Carnival’s existing 11 cruises to Cuba. Carnival had […]

Disney Magic Cruise Ship Getting Upgrades for 2018

By the Caribbean Journal staff Disney Cruise Line is upgrading its Disney Magic cruise ship with a host of new amenities and experiences, according to the company. The changes, which will make their debut in March 2018, including a new dining experience inspired by Disney’s “Tangled,” along with a new space for teens called Vibe […]

Rum Journal: Celebrating Hemingway, Papa’s Pilar Opens Key West Distillery

BY ALEXANDER BRITELL The sun burned and then the doors opened and the rum began to flow, in the way only rum can on a hot afternoon. In an old grey building on Simonton Street in this island corner of America, the Hemingway Rum Company finally had found a home. Four years after its birth, […]

Beaches Turks and Caicos Officially Opens Key West Luxury Village

Above: the opening ceremony of the Beaches Turks & Caicos Key West Luxury Village (photos by CJ) By Joshua Martinez CJ Contributor PROVIDENCIALES — The Beaches Turks and Caicos all inclusive resort officially unveiled its new Key West Luxury Village with a gala ceremony last week. The star-studded affair included visits by Sandals Resorts International […]

Viking Ocean Cruises Reveals New Caribbean Itineraries

By Dana Niland CJ Contributor Viking Ocean Cruises has announced the addition of ten new itineraries for its 2017 and 2018 sailings. Among the more than 30 new ports of call Viking is adding to its itineraries are several located throughout the Caribbean, including Cuba. “As we continue to grow our fleet, we have more opportunities […]

Diana Nyad Completes 103-Mile Swim From Cuba to Key West

Above: Diana Nyad By the Caribbean Journal staff Diana Nyad became the first person to ever swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage on Monday. The 64-year-old Nyad arrived at Smathers Beach in Key West following a harrowing 103-mile journey through waters full of sharks. A longtime long-distance swimmer, Nyad […]