Daily Archives: January 28, 2022

Royal Caribbean International took delivery of its newest ship, the Wonder of the Seas, from the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Marseille, France.

The fifth ship in Royal Caribbean's Oasis class will make its official debut in Fort Lauderdale on March 4, launching seven-day cruises to the Caribbean. The Wonder will reposition to the Mediterranean this summer, sailing cruises from Barcelona and Rome.

New for the Oasis class on the Wonder will be an eighth neighborhood, the Suite Neighborhood, which will have an elevated Suite Sun Deck with a plunge pool, bar, loungers and nooks. The first four ships in the Oasis class have seven zones called neighborhoods, such as the Boardwalk and Central Park.

The ship will also introduce the Vue, a cantilevered bar high above the pool deck that has a colorful mosaic canopy overhead after sunset, and Wonder Playscape, a top-deck, underwater-themed adventure play area with slides, climbing walls and an interactive mural activated by touch.

The Wonder of the Seas' Suite neighborhood has a sundeck. Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean

The Wonder also will have a new restaurant in the fleet, the Mason Jar Southern Restaurant & Bar.

The ship's Fort Lauderdale cruises will sail in March and April and visit the line's private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay; Nassau, Bahamas; Roatan, Honduras; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

From Barcelona and Rome, the ship will visit Naples and Florence, Italy; Palma de Mallorca, Spain; and Provence, France.

The Wonder will return to Florida to sail year-round out of Port Canaveral, starting in November.

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Wonder of the Seas delivered to Royal Caribbean - Travel Weekly

By NAN STAFF WRITER

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. Jan. 27, 2022: Two Caribbean organizations are among the winners of Rihannas foundations grants to tackle climate change in underserved communities.

Rihannas Clara Lionel Foundation, (CLF), has committed $15 million to 18 organizations working on climate justice across the U.S. and Caribbean in partnership with #StartSmall, Jack Dorseys philanthropic initiative.

The Caribbean winners are the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) and The Caribbean Climate Justice Project.

CYEN is dedicated to improving the quality of life of Caribbean young people by facilitating their personal development and full involvement in environment and sustainable development. CYENs work spans addressing youth unemployment, enriching climate resiliency, water resource management, notably their Stay Alive and Thrive Climate Action campaign to raise public awareness about the urgent need to mitigate and adapt to climate change across the Caribbean and around the globe.

The Caribbean Climate Justice Project seeks to raise awareness and educate broadly on the threats to communities across the Caribbean caused by climate change, and catalyze action on the necessary responses at the household, community, national and regional levels. The Caribbean Climate Justice Projects work spans over 20 countries, educating communities about the disproportionate impacts of climate change, advocating for systems change on a global scale, and networking to connect Caribbean communities and abroad to optimize impact and promote knowledge and resource sharing.

CLF was founded in 2012 by Robyn Rihanna Fenty in honor of her grandparents Clara and Lionel Braithwaite.

CLF is shifting how the world responds to natural disasters through emergency preparedness and community resilience projects. CLFs education work tackles barriers to access through holistic initiatives around the globe. Through the voices of Rihanna and her fans, CLF also advocates for policy and systems change while mobilizing people to take action in response to the worlds injustices.

Current programs include primary and secondary education programs in Malawi, Barbados, and Senegal; emergency response programs in the Caribbean and across the globe; and the Clara Lionel Foundation Global Scholarship Program.

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Rihannas Foundation Supports These Two Caribbean Organizations In Climate Fight - Caribbean and Latin America Daily News - News Americas

Most people fantasize about Caribbean destinations when they dream of paradise. To help highlight some of the Caribbean's best spots both popular and off the beaten path 10Best needs you to vote for the Caribbean's best resorts, beaches, attractions, bars, distilleries, golf courses and restaurants.

You can vote once per category, per day until voting ends on Monday, February 14 at noon ET. The winners will be announced on Friday, February 25.

Click on each category below to vote:

Caribbean travelers have no shortage of things to see and do

There's more to the Caribbean than just beautiful beaches (though we love those, too). From waterfalls and caves to ziplines and historic sites, Caribbean travelers have no shortage of things to see and do. We asked a panel of Caribbean travel experts to nominate their 20 favorite attractions, and now we need you to choose the 10 best.

Vote: Best Caribbean Attraction

Help us name the 10 best Caribbean beaches by voting for your favorite

Beach junkies and sun lovers will find some of the world's most spectacular stretches of sand on the islands of the Caribbean. With so many palm tree-lined, silky sand expanses leading down to warm, azure water, it's hard to narrow it down to just 20. But that's the task we gave our panel of Caribbean travel experts. Now it's your turn to crown the Caribbean's best beach.

Vote: Best Caribbean Beach

The Caribbean could be called the beach bar capital of the world

Nothing says "vacation" quite like sipping a tropical cocktail while digging your toes in the sand. The Caribbean could be called the beach bar capital of the world, with countless places to sip the day away. We asked a panel of Caribbean travel experts to nominate their favorites, and now it's your turn to pick a winner.

Vote: Best Caribbean Beach Bar

Help us find the 10 best Caribbean golf courses

Laid-back, fun, insanely beautiful these are a few of the phrases you could use to describe the experience of golfing in the Caribbean, and there are more choices than ever for teeing off in the tropical sun. Vote for your favorite Caribbean golf course once per day until voting ends on Monday, February 14 at noon ET.

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Vote: Best Caribbean Golf Course

Unwind at these Caribbean resorts

Powdery soft sands, crystal clear waters, sumptuous accommodations and exquisite service characterize these top tropical escapes in the Caribbean, chosen by a panel of Caribbean travel experts as the best in the region. Help us crown 2022's Best Caribbean Resort.

Vote: Best Caribbean Resort

The rum is the only thing more popular than the beaches

If there's one thing the Caribbean is known for as much as its beaches, it's rum. The spirit was first distilled on the islands during the 17th century when sugar plantation slaves discovered that molasses a byproduct of the refining process could be fermented into alcohol.

Caribbean rum producers have spent the centuries since perfecting the process of distillation, aging and blending, and many of the world's best rums come from the Caribbean. We asked a panel of Caribbean travel experts to nominate their favorite distilleries, and now we need you to pick the top 10.

Vote: Best Caribbean Rum Distillery

From fine dining to seafood shacks along the beach, there's plenty to eat in the Caribbean

The Caribbean is a melting pot of cultures and ethnic influences, and that diversity is reflected in its food. Culinary gems here range from fine dining to beachside seafood shacks serving up dishes good enough to make even the most discerning foodie swoon. We asked a panel of Caribbean travel experts to nominate their favorite restaurants in the region, and now we're calling on you to choose a winner.

Vote: Best Restaurant in the Caribbean

Remember, you can vote once per day in each category. The 10 nominees with the most votes in each category will be announced on 10Best.com on Friday, February 25.

10Best is a part of the USA TODAY Network providing an authentically local point of view on destinations around the world in addition to travel and lifestyle advice.

This article originally appeared on 10Best.com: What are the best Caribbean resorts, attractions and restaurants? Vote now

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What are the best spots in the Caribbean? Vote now - Yahoo News

Thursday, January 27th 2022 - 09:26 UTC Violence has been on the rise for more than 15 years, resulting in some 335,000 people dead and 93,000 missing since 2006

Two Canadian tourists and one Argentine hotel manager have been found murdered in less than a week, in Mexico's Riviera Maya area. These events have once again put the spotlight on violence in this region full of beach resorts.

The Crdoba-born Federico Mazzoni, who emigrated to Mexico in 2002, was found lifeless in the bathroom of the Mamita's Beach Club hotel in Playa del Carmen where he worked, less than a week after the murder of two Canadians shot dead by a fellow countryman at a Xcaret hotel, it was reported.

Mazzoni's murder apparently took place Tuesday afternoon when two men shot him twice in the head. According to the newspaper El Universal, Mexican journalist Vctor Hugo Vargas, who knew the victim, said that gangs related to drug trafficking had demanded him an extortion fee, which he refused to do.

Federico became a prisoner of the violence that is experienced in southern Mexico. The authorities are trying to squeeze drug trafficking in tourist areas, so the criminals are looking [for other ways] to get easy money, Vargas explained. Criminal organizations often threaten and extort hotel workers to sell drugs, the reporter also pointed out.

Last week, Canadians Robert James Dinh and Thomas Cherukara, 34 years old each, were murdered at the Xcaret hotel not far from Playa del Carmen. Mexican authorities have announced the arrest Tuesday of two suspects, one Mexican and one Canadian, but a third perpetrator is said to be still at large. The case seems to be linked to a vendetta between Canadian mafia groups of Vietnamese origin dedicated to drug trafficking and money laundering for an outstanding debt.

Back on Nov. 5, two people were shot dead by a commando of 15 mercenaries who traveled on speedboats in Puerto Morelos, halfway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, also in the state of Quintana Roo, near the Belize border.

On Oct. 21, a German and an Indian national were murdered in Tulum, a short distance from Puerto Morelos, while three women, two of them of Dutch origin and one German were injured during a fight between drug dealers at the La Malquerida bar.

Violence has been on the rise for more than 15 years, resulting in some 335,000 people dead and 93,000 missing since the government launched its war against the cartels in December 2006, which has also hit other tourist areas on the Pacific coast, such as Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta.

Tourism in Quintana Roo accounts for 1.4% of Mexico's gross domestic product (GDP).

(Source: ANSA)

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Violence on the rise on Mexico's Caribbean beaches - MercoPress

A German fugitive suspected of killing five people and who escaped prison has twice been spotted on a Caribbean island, according to a report.

Norman Volker Franz, 52, has been on the run since busting out of prison in Portugal in 1999. But cops in Germany believe an eagle-eyed citizen visiting the Caribbean saw the most-wanted man while visiting Curaao, the Daily Mirror reported.

A German tourist saw a man on the island in April who matched Norman Franzs description, North Rhine-Westphaliapolice said. He knows that he is not allowed to be near Germans. They might recognize him.

Interpol authorities put out a red alert last February in an updated request to the public for help in tracking Franz down, saying he should still be considered armed and dangerous decades after his latest escape.

Franz has a long history of violent and organized crime, including armed robberies, the international law enforcement agency said in a statement. He was convicted of murder in 1996, after throwing a grenade into a car which killed two of its occupants.

Franz received a life sentence for the slayings but escaped from a German prison by sawing through the bars of his cell in March 1997, the Mirror reported.

Franz, who was preparing to start classes at a technical college in Germany at the time of the killings, was part of a gang that targeted banks, smuggled cigarettes and traded weapons.

Franz and three other men lured the victims before tossing a grenade into their vehicle, killing two. He was later arrested at a toll booth while trying to sneak into France with his 23-year-old girlfriend, the Mirror reported.

Franz then allegedly killed three security guards in two shootings in Germany over the next four months before he was arrested in October 1998 for a second time in Albufeira, Portugal, the newspaper reported.

Interpol said Franz had been working in the real estate business at the time while living with his family under the aliases of Carsten Mller and Michael Stuever.

Franz proceeded to break out of prison a second time by again cutting through the window bars of his cell at a Lisbon prison, the Mirror reported. He has since managed to elude authorities across the globe.

A reward of more than $36,000 is being offered by Europol for information leading to Franzs arrest.

As there is an outstanding warrant of arrest for Norman Volker Franz on suspicion of robbery and murder in five cases, he is subject of world-wide searches, the agency said in a notice on Europes most-wanted fugitives.

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German fugitive Norman Volker Franz spotted on Caribbean island: cops - New York Post

As Transparency International (TI) publishes their annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) this week, it will be interesting to see where certain countries land: 2021 has been a bumper year for corruption.

In Britain, corruption has been on the minds of journalists, academics and practitioners alike, as Boris Johnson tries to get himself run out, the only hope of him continuing his innings lying with Sue Gray.

However, in the ex-British territories of the West Indies this is not a popcorn moment. Similar scenes of state capture unfold in these islands and, to be honest, it is just not cricket. Very few politicians here play with a straight bat and even when caught out, the umpire is seemingly blind. Spectators are leaving in droves: a massive brain drain has weakened Caribbean economies significantly over the past five decades, alongside cronyism, state capture and procurement fraud. The politicians left behind to run these countries are the most unqualified and unscrupulous one can find, a state referred to as a kakistocracy.

Resources continue to be drained by corrupt infrastructure projects, while expenditure in health and education, critical to nation building, remains insufficient. But as these sectors fall behind the rest of the world, a new player has emerged in the Caribbean. In 2018, Trinidad and Tobago became the first Caribbean country to officially sign up to Chinas $4tn global belt and road development initiative. Suriname, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and even the progressive leadership in Barbados followed (et tu Mia?). Jamaica was last in to bat and did not put up much of a resistance.

So what is China trying to achieve? Neocolonialism? Cynics would say there is no such thing as a free lunch. Just ask Sri Lanka and Uganda. The Hambantota port development project in Sri Lanka, led by the China Harbour Engineering Company, was predicted to fail and lived up to that expectation. The new Sri Lankan government, after struggling to make payments on the debt, handed over the port on a 99-year lease, including 15,000 acres of land. More recently, China has been forced to deny reports that it will gain control of Ugandas Entebbe international airport if the country defaults on debt repayments.

An old quote attributed to John Adams states that the way to subjugate a country is through either the sword or debt. China has assiduously chosen the latter. Debt deals have provoked criticism against Xi Jinpings belt and road initiative and insinuations that his global investment and lending programme is nothing more than a trap, fuelling corruption and autocratic behaviour in struggling and vulnerable democracies.

Some believe that the intent is twofold: to gain strategic trade footholds in the Caribbean and Latin America through debt and duress and to snare allies in its escalating feud with Taiwan. Taiwans remaining friends include Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines. Much can be said for the rich kid who owns the bat you can play as long as you are not mates with Taiwan. This will of course manifest in the UN arena as Xi buys more support though his use of corrosive capital.

One can argue that the Caribbean islands dont have much choice the pandemic has been merciless to their economies. Should they approach the International Monetary Fund, cap in hand, and be subjected to austerity measures that make governments unpopular with their people? Is there another option?

A recent photo of Clive Lloyd, captain of historys most successful West Indies cricket team and one of the most successful test captains of all time, being knighted drew mixed reactions. The sight of Lloyd bending the knee, not in support of Colin Kaepernick, but to receive an affirmation from the monarchy of Britain, the ex-colonial masters, ignited fresh debate about reparations.

Could reparations be the strategic tool for Europe to remove Chinas hold on the Caribbean, and for these islands to throw off the shackles of poor governance, underdevelopment and inequality once and for all? It could be pure genius.

In 2013, the Caricom Reparations Commission (CRC) was established by the Caribbean heads of governments to establish the moral, ethical and legal case for the payment of reparations by all the former colonial powers to the people of the Caribbean for the crimes against humanity of genocide, the transatlantic slave trade and the racialised system of chattel slavery.

To deliver the CRCs mandate, the Caricom Reparations Justice Program asserts that victims and descendants of these crimes have a legal right to reparatory justice, and that those who committed these crimes, and have been enriched by proceeds, have a reparatory case to answer. The CRCs action plan includes debt cancellation, alongside financing of programmes including technology transfer, literacy, health and indigenous peoples development. It could take a long time to get all the parties to the table a frequent remark by an old professor of mine resonates: If you want to not get something done form a committee. But it is an opportunity.

Transparency Internationals 2021 index will reveal global corruption continuing to thwart opportunity, to hamstring countries abilities to protect public health and their economies during the pandemic. There has been no progress, only more allegations of Covid procurement fraud and corrupt contracts awarded to ministers friends and family.

Last year, Delia Ferreira Rubio, the chair of Transparency International, said: Its a corruption crisis. And one that were currently failing to manage. It is a sentiment unlikely to have changed.

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Reparations to the Caribbean could break the cycle of corruption and Chinas grip - The Guardian

During the first few weeks of a new year, many people set aside time to pick fresh goals for the months ahead. Two of the most commonly chosen new years resolutions are traveling more and putting a focus on health and wellness.

There are a number of wellness travel trends emerging for 2022, including prioritizing physical fitness and focusing on travel as self-care. Combining travel and physical and mental health through taking a wellness-focused vacation is an ideal way to bring both of these goals to life.

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Playa Hotels & Resorts, a company with several all-inclusive properties in prime beachfront locations throughout Mexico and the Caribbean, makes satisfying these new resolutions a breeze.

From the start of the pandemic, the resort company has made the health and safety of its guests and employees a priority, and it continues to do so today with enhanced sanitization and wellbeing measures in place throughout its properties.

In addition to outstanding cleaning protocols, though, Playas hotels are ideal for health and wellness-focused vacations and help set travelers up for success in accomplishing their 2022 goals.

Its not hard for guests of these resorts to either stick to their daily fitness routines or try a new workout while on vacation, as the properties have spacious facilities with everything a fitness guru would need.

For example, Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic is a wellness travelers paradise. The property is home to a 14,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art gym with a modern design and designated areas for cardio, strength workouts and classes including TRX, spinning, yoga, step and Pilates. Guests also have access to personal fitness trainers throughout their stay.

Another area of wellness Playa Hotels & Resorts focuses on is spa experiences. The spas on the properties invite guests to wash their worries and any stressors they may be carrying away with a variety of treatments such as massages, facials and more.

Take for example Radiant Spa at Hilton Rose Hall in Jamaica visitors can immerse themselves in a Soothe Spa by The Sea treatment, where theyll enjoy full relaxation in a cottage near the ocean surrounded by the Caribbean breeze and sounds of waves softly meeting the sand.

In addition to spacious workout facilities and unique spas, Playa also encourages guests to fuel themselves with nutritious food by offering healthy options on the menus throughout the restaurants. Travelers will easily find lots of fruits, vegetables, fresh protein and more.

Playas properties are mainly located on pristine beaches in tropical areas, and feeling the soft sand and warmth of the sun tops off the wellness experience as a whole. Fresh air, sunshine and a dip in the ocean are enough to help guests feel rejuvenated and ready to tackle whatever it is they need to do when they get back home.

To start creating your wellness-focused vacation, contact a travel advisor or visit http://www.playaresorts.com.

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Wellness-Focused Vacation Options in Mexico and the Caribbean - TravelPulse

JetBlue plans to cut service this spring to 12 routes, including seven to the Caribbean: between Newark and Antigua, Barbados, Haiti and St. Thomas; JFK and Bermuda; Philadelphia and San Juan; and Raleigh-Durham and San Juan.

The remaining five route cuts will affect domestic U.S. destinations.

Most of the routes were added in response to pandemic travel trends "to help us bring immediate cash in the door," said Philip Stewart, manager of corporate communications.

"As our customers return to more expected booking patterns, these changes will free up aircraft time that we can deploy into other areas of our network that hold the most strength and relevance to our network strategy in the long term."

"Even with these reductions, most of which operated less than daily, we still expect our 2022 schedule to be our biggest ever, and we'll continue to grow our fleet with new aircraft throughout the year," he said.

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JetBlue will cut service on seven Caribbean routes this spring - Travel Weekly