st maarten

St Maarten’s Sonesta Maho Pushes Back Relaunch to February

Caribbean Photo of the Week: Philipsburg, St Maarten

By the Caribbean Journal staff The latest Caribbean Photo comes from Caribbean Journal reader Sandy Ruyack of Brewster, New York, who sent in this stunning shot of the green hills of Philipsburg, the capital of St Maarten. Have you taken …

St Maarten Eyes Continued Cruise Growth

By the Caribbean Journal staff After an impressive recovery from Hurricane Irma in 2018, St Maarten is expecting another big year for its all-important cruise industry in 2019. And Port St Maarten is hitting the ground running, with six ships …

The Best All-Inclusive in St Maarten is Back

By the Caribbean Journal staff St Maarten’s premier all-inclusive resort has made its triumphant return to Maho Beach. The adults-only Sonesta Ocean Point Resort has completed a 15-month-long rebuilding process in the wake of Hurricane Irma, a significant step for …

Air Transat Makes Its Return to St Maarten

By the Caribbean Journal staff Canadian carrier Air Transat has finally returned to St Maarten. The airline officially resumed service to the destination this week after a 15-month hiatus in the wake of Hurricane Irma. Transat is now operating weekly …

St Maarten Just Had Its Busiest Cruise Day of 2018

By the Caribbean Journal staff St Maarten just had its busiest cruise day of the year, according to Port St Maarten. Just in time for Boxing Day, the destination welcomed seven cruise ships. Six vessels were moored at the two …

Caribbean Photo of the Week: Simpson Bay, St Maarten

By the Caribbean Journal staff The latest Caribbean Photo comes from Caribbean Journal reader Jennifer Bergen, who sent in this beautiful shot of the beach at Simpson Bay in St Maarten. Have you taken a great photo in the Caribbean …

St Maarten Airport Gets Ready for High Season

By the Caribbean Journal staff The reconstruction of St Maarten’s iconic Princess Juliana International Airport is making progress, officials said this week. While the airport has been serving passengers since Oct. 10, 2017, operations will be transfefred back to the …

St Maarten’s Winair Adding More Flights for Holidays

By the Caribbean Journal staff St Maarten-based regional carrier Winair is adding more new flights for the upcoming holiday season. The carrier is adding 24 additional seats for its St Maarten-Curacao flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Aruba flights …

Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas Calls on St Maarten

By Dana NilandCJ Contributor Symphony of the Seas, the newest addition to the Royal Caribbean fleet, made its inaugural call to Port St. Maarten this week. This was the ship’s first port of call in the Eastern Caribbean after leaving …

The Top All-Inclusive in St Maarten is Set for a Big Reopening

By the Caribbean Journal staff The leading all-inclusive resort in St Maarten is set for a major reopening. The adults-only Sonesta Ocean Point resort is planning to reopen its doors on Dec. 15, according to the property. The property, which …

St Maarten Looks to Boost Philipsburg Nightlife

By the Caribbean Journal staff It’s one of the Caribbean’s busiest cruise destinations – but when the ships depart and the sun goes down, Philipsburg, St Maarten tends to get quiet. A new project is looking to change that, however. Set …

St Maarten’s Winair Expands Fleet

By the Caribbean Journal staff St Maarten-based regional airline Winair has expanded its fleet for the upcoming high season. The carrier has added its fourth Twin Otter aircraft, with demand expected to rise for the winter months, the company said. …

JetBlue Launches Another New Caribbean Mint Route

By the Caribbean Journal staff The island of Saint Lucia is the latest to benefit from JetBlue’s expansion of its Mint premium cabin service in the Caribbean. JetBlue launched its newest Mint route to the region this week with a …

St Maarten Kicks Off Big Cruise Season

By the Caribbean Journal staff St Maarten is kicking off the 2018-2019 high cruise season this month, with several multiple-ship days on the agenda for November. The first six-ship day will be Nov. 14, followed by another on Nov. 28, …

National Hospitality Group Expands in Aruba

By the Caribbean Journal staff Myrtle Beach-based National Hospitality Group is expanding in the Dutch Caribbean. NGH has revealed that it has added the Aruba Beach Club to its management portfolio. The Aruba Beach Club will be the company’s fourth …

St Maarten’s Sonesta Ocean Point Pushes Reopening to December

By the Caribbean Journal staff St Maarten’s popular Sonesta Ocean Point resort has pushed back its reopening date to December, Sonesta said Thursday. The Sonesta Ocean Point now has a projected reopening date of Dec. 15, while its sister resort, …

All-Inclusive Planet Hollywood Opens in Costa Rica

By the Caribbean Journal staff The first-ever Planet Hollywood resort in the wider Caribbean region has officially opened its doors on the coast of Costa Rica. The all-inclusive Planet Hollywood Beach Resort is set on the popular Papagayo Peninsula in …

St Maarten Tops 1 Million Cruise Passengers

By Dana NilandCJ Contributor A little over a year after Hurricane Irma, St Maarten’s all-important cruise industry set a remarkable milestone for 2018, topping 1 million cruise passengers. Carnival Cruise Lines newest Vista ship, Carnival Horizon, made its inaugural call …