Southwest Airlines has officially landed in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This week, Southwest launched daily round-trip service to St. Thomas from both Orlando and from Baltimore, opening up one of the Caribbean’s most beloved beach and bar destinations to even more travelers. It’s perfect for anyone who prefers water that’s warm enough to swim in […]
You step into a glass dome floating high above the ocean. To your right, divers plunge from platforms. Above, aerialists twist through light. Somewhere behind you, a DJ is spinning beside a suspended infinity pool. This isn’t a dream — it’s Star of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s newest Icon Class ship, and it’s about to […]
Margaritaville at Sea is adding a third ship to its growing fleet. In a major move announced on the third anniversary of the brand’s launch, the company has confirmed the purchase of the Costa Fortuna, a 102,500-ton vessel currently operated by Costa Cruises. The acquisition marks the next phase of the company’s fleet expansion strategy — […]
Barbados is projecting a big cruise season ahead, Caribbean Journal has learned. The island’s tourism officials are anticipating a 22 percent jump in cruise arrivals for the 2025-2026 season, according to a press briefing at the recent Caribbean Travel Marketplace conference in Antigua. The 22 percent jump would come across 467 different ship calls, totaling […]
Cozumel is back in a big way. The Mexican Caribbean island welcomed more than 4.6 million cruise passengers in 2024, according to new data from the Caribbean Tourism Organization—a 13.1 percent jump over the previous year. It was one of the largest year-over-year increases of any cruise destination in the wider Caribbean. The island, long […]
Jamaica saw a slight decline in cruise arrivals in 2024, according to newly-released data from the Caribbean Tourism Organization. But that’s not the full story. Cruise passenger visits to the island saw a 1 percent decline last year, with a total of 1,253,297 overall arrivals, according to the Barbados-based organization’s annual tourism performance report for […]
Royal Caribbean International has revealed new details about its forthcoming private destination, Perfect Day at Mexico. The project is currently under development in the coastal town of Mahahual, located on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. Set to debut in 2027, the destination will be exclusive to guests sailing on Royal Caribbean cruises departing from Florida and Texas. […]
A Broadway musical. A jazz-infused supper club. And a towering curtain of water in the sky. That’s just a taste of what’s coming to Star of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s newest Icon Class ship, debuting in August 2025 from Port Canaveral in Florida. The ship will be the second in the Icon Class — the […]
Tucked at the far corner of the southeastern Caribbean, Barbados isn’t as easy to reach as cruise ports like Nassau and Grand Turk. But the island’s port in Bridgetown has very quietly become the fastest-growing cruise stop in the wider Caribbean, Caribbean Journal has learned. Cruise passenger arrivals rose by 40.8 percent to Barbados last […]
Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Norwegian Aqua, has officially arrived at Port Canaveral in Florida. The launch comes as Caribbean cruise demand continues to rise, with major lines expanding service from Florida ports, including the recent high-profile launch of MSC World America out of PortMiami. The 3,571-passenger Aqua is the first in the company’s […]
Bookings for 2025 have “remained on track,” Royal Caribbean President and CEO Jason Liberty said in its recent earnings report, in a positive sign for the travel industry amid global uncertainty. The company cited record bookings during the key Wave season and sustained strength in April demand — including a notable uptick in close-in reservations. […]
17 calls. Eight inaugural calls. Two new cruise lines. 17,317 cruise passengers. Trinidad isn’t exactly a Caribbean cruise powerhouse, but the the island just closed what officials are calling a “dynamic” season. The season officially concluded with a visit by the Odyssey, a “residential” cruise ship by Villa Vie Residences. The call on Port of […]
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