Daily Archives: September 20, 2022

Island-hopping in the Caribbean is set to get a whole lot more eco-friendly.

Electric plane developer Eviation says it has inked a deal with GlobalX, a regional flight company that operates in Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Following on from news in July that it joined forces with Parker Aerospace to develop Alice, its nine-seater electric aircraft, Eviation has now put pen to paper with GlobalX in a letter of intent that will see it provide 50 Alice planes to the company.

Due to be delivered by 2027, the 50 Alice planes will allow GlobalX to offer zero-emissions flights to passengers on short haul routes.

Specifications for the electric plane described by the company as targets include a flight range of 440 nautical miles (814km), and a maximum cruising speed of 250 knots (463km/hr). A payload of 1.133 tonnes, and take-off needs of approximately 800 metres are also specified.

Designed on a clean sheet platform powered by mangi650 propulsion units from Australias magniX, Eviations Alice is currently also being evaluated in a cargo format by GlobalX.

Ed Wegel, chair and CEO of GlobalX said in a statement that the flight operator plans to use the Alice aircraft for a range of uses.

Eviations Alice aircraft is setting the standard in sustainable aviation, and we plan to offer the aircraft to our cruise line, tour operators, leisure travel providers, and business clients with a need for short-haul charter flights across Florida, he said.

The Alice aircraft will allow us to offer sustainable, regional flights to and from major markets, and is the first step in our initiative to be a zero-carbon emissions airline by 2050.

Though details such as charter costs are unsurprisingly not yet nutted out, there is some promise for cheaper island-hopping as well.

As The Driven reported in 2018, flying via an Eviation Alice could be a lot cheaper due to the much-reduced maintenance and power costs of electric motors compared to conventional aircraft engines.

That this could become reality was also hinted at in comments made by Eviation president Gregory Davis.

We are delighted to enter this agreement with GlobalX, whose investment in zero-emissions flight demonstrates the airlines commitment to cleaner skies, lower operational costs, and the provision of the most innovative options for air travel, he said via a statement.

Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.

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Eviation inks deal for 50 electric planes for Caribbean - The Driven

Pearns Bay House, nestled within the private Pearns Point peninsular in Antigua, offers a secluded Caribbean hideaway this winter. Guests can say goodbye to snow and hello to sun, sand and sea from the private ultra-luxury villa, taking full advantage of the winter sunshine from the panoramic location. With its own team of staff, including a private chef, the villa provides up to 12 guests with an unforgettable tailor-made holiday packed with winter vitamin D.

With direct beach access and away from the throngs at Jumby Bay, Pearns Bay House is perfectly set up for letting go of the wintertime blues and embracing outdoor living in privacy. Snorkeling, paddleboarding and outdoor yoga are available to all guests at no extra cost. An infinity pool overlooking the bright turquoise Caribbean Sea, vast terraces with 180-degree views and outdoor lounge areas all provide plenty of options to make the most of the winter sun, ensuring guests can unwind in the tropical clime. The fully-equipped outdoor kitchen offers a chance for plenty of winter BBQs beneath the Antiguan sun, freshly prepared using local ingredients and produce from the garden, by the villas private chef.

Designed by Dutch architect Piet Boon, the house accommodates up to 12 people and draws inspiration from the sloping forms surrounding Pearns Bay. With expansive, open-plan living spaces on the top floor, complete views over the Caribbean Sea and doors straight out onto the large wraparound terrace, Pearns Bay House blends the indoors with the beautiful, balmy outdoors. All of the six super king-size en-suite bedrooms have their own private terrace that leads directly onto the beach, perfect for those who fancy sunrise swims and beach walks.

A team of dedicated, attentive staff make sure that guests neednt lift a finger and can spend their time enjoying this peaceful winter retreat. Meals are prepared by the resident house chef, drinks are always served ice-cold on the beach and the House Director makes sure that every little detail is taken care of, from arrival details, excursions to private experiences within the villa.

Pearns Bay House is available to book directly via the website: pearnsbayhouse.com. Prices start from $5,800 per night with a minimum of five nights per stay (transfers and food included).

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Swap the cold for the Caribbean at luxury Antiguan villa this winter - Luxury Travel Magazine

The highly-anticipated new Dreams Cozumel Cape Resort and Spa has officially opened its doors, Caribbean Journal has learned.

The newest all-inclusive resort on the beloved island off the Caribbean coast of Mexico welcomed its first guests this weekend.

Dreams Cozumel Cape is the AMR Collections third resort property in Cozumel.AMR Collection is the centerpiece of Hyatts global all-inclusive offering.

The resort is home to 154 suites, ranging from swim-out suites to larger connecting units for families.

So what about dining?

The resort has five dining concepts: two a la carte eateries, a pizzeria, a cafe and an international buffet.

Cocktail spots include the ocean-view Aperitifs; the Marlin pool bar; the Preferred Club Lounge bar and the thatched-roof, toes-in-the-sand Sugar Reef beach bar.

The family-friendly resort has beach and pool volleyball, ping pong, a kids club, and a pair of pools: one main pool and another for scuba diving lessons.

Daily entertainment includes big-screen movies, theme nights, yoga classes, mixology workshops and even Spanish lessons (and, naturally, tequila tastings).

Theres also a full slate of tour operations for exploring both Cozumel and the broader Mexican Caribbean, including a focus on local culture and Mayan history.

While there isnt a spa directly on property, guests can head to the adjacent Secrets Aura Cozumel and enjoy that resorts 14,000-square-foot wellness destination, the Secrets Spa by Pevonia.

And adult guests at the Dreams Cozumel Cape get full access to the amenities at the Secrets Aura Cozumel, while all guests have access to the Sunscape Sabor Cozumel.

Its yet another new addition to Apple Leisure Groups rapidly-expanding portfolio of all-inclusive resorts in the wider Caribbean, both in the Mexican Caribbean and island destinations like Saint Lucia (home to two resorts in the pipeline).

Cozumel has been seeing rapid growth during the pandemic, with new flights from major carriers and continue hotel growth.

So far this year, passenger traffic at Cozumels airport stands at just over 464,000, a number that is more than 12 percent higher than the same period in 2019, before the pandemic. Thats one of the highest post-pandemic growth rates of any airport in Mexico, and nearly as strong as Cancun.

For more, visit Dreams Cozumel Cape.

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Hyatt's Newest Caribbean All-Inclusive Resort Is Open in Cozumel - Caribbean Journal

WATCH: Warming up this week, Fiona lashes the Caribbean

Updated: 6:27 AM EDT Sep 19, 2022

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THAT WAS FASCINATING. ID LIKE TO SEE SEE MORE ABOUT THAT FORECAST TODAY. YEAH, ITS GETTING INTERESTING. EVEN THOUGH WERE CLOSING OUT THE SUMMER THIS WEEK IN THE FIRST DAY OF FALL, OFFICIALLY BEGINNING ON THURSDAY DAY, OUR TEMPERATURES ARE ACTUALLY GONNA GET HOTTER BEFORE THE WEEK IS OVER. STILL WILL BE A NICE MONDAY. TEMPERATURES ARE ON THE UPSWING THOUGH WE NOTICED THAT YESTERDAY TEMPERATURES CLIMBED A LITTLE CLIMB A LITTLE BIT MORE TODAY BY MIDWEEK, WE COULD SEE 90 DEGREES AGAIN. FIONA A HURRICANE AND GETTING STRONGER. IT SEEMS STORM BECAUSE CURRENTLY HAS MOVED PAST PUERTO AT THIS POINT NOW LASHING ISLE OF HISPANIOLA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. WERE ALSO GOING TO START FEEL THE EFFECTS OF THIS IN HAITI AS THE STORM IS MOVING TO THE NORTHWEST AT ABOUT EIGHT MILES PER HOUR. AS OF THE 5:00 ADVISORY, WINDS ARE UP TO 90. IT WILL GET STRONGER AS IT MOVES NORTH. THIS STORM IS EXPECTED TO ACCELERATE, TURN NORTH AND EVENTUALLY MORE NORTH EAST. MODELS ARE REALLY GOOD AGREEMENT ABOUT THIS PART OF THE PATH AND SO THIS WILL STAY FAR AWAY FROM THE US. UNFORTUNATELY, BERMUDA MIGHT BE HIT DIRECTLY WITH A MAJOR HURRICANE LATER THIS WEEK AS THAT STORM CONTINUES TO RAMP UP. SO WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ON THAT. OUR TEMPERATURES MID TO UPPER FIFTIES AND FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE AREA THIS MORNING, A LITTLE MILDER IN THE HEAT. THE URBAN HEAT AREAS HEAT ISLAND AREAS, I SHOULD SAY WINSTON-SALEM 63, GREENSBORO AND 64 AND CLOSE TO 60 OVER MUCH THE TRIAD. PATCHY DENSE FOG NORTH AND WEST NORTH WILKESBORO ALWAYS SEEMS TO HAVE FOG WHEN THERE IS FOG VISIBILITY THERE LESS THAN A MILE AND THEN REALLY WEST OF 77. AT THIS POINT WEVE GOT SOME CLOUDS FROM A STORM SYSTEM THAT IS BEGINNING TO COLLAPSE OVER THE MIDWEST. I DONT THINK WELL SEE MUCH MORE THAN A FEW EXTRA AFTERNOON CLOUDS FROM THIS. OUR HIGH TEMPERATURES MID EIGHTIES THIS AFTERNOON AROUND, 85 OR 86 DEGREES. TEMPERATURES WARMING IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE HIGH OF AROUND 84 THIS AFTERNOON. LIGHT BREEZES SUNSHINE GIVES WAY TO A FEW MORE CLOUDS AND A HIGH OF AROUND 77. AND MANY OF OUR MOUNTAIN SPOTS LATER ON TODAY 78 FOR CAS TEMPERATURES NICE STEAMY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY THE FIRST DAY OF FALL THEN ABRUPTLY TO COOL BEHIND A COLD FRONT THAT COULD DRIVE TEMPERATUR

WATCH: Warming up this week, Fiona lashes the Caribbean

Updated: 6:27 AM EDT Sep 19, 2022

WATCH: Warming up this week, Fiona lashes the Caribbean

WATCH: Warming up this week, Fiona lashes the Caribbean

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WATCH: Warming up this week, Fiona lashes the Caribbean - WXII12 Winston-Salem

Home Kenneth Bryan named the chairman of Caribbean Tourism Organization

 Monday, September 19, 2022 

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On Tuesday, the Cayman Islands Minister of Tourism, Kenneth Bryan, was selected as the new chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization at the annual general meeting of the group in Grand Cayman.

Bryan as part of his new responsibilities assumes the chairmanship of the Council of Ministers of CTO for the coming two years by putting back Lisa Cummins, outgoing chairman and Barbados minister of tourism.

He said that he feels honored and thrilled at the same time to take over the responsibility of the CTO chairmanship. Bryan also said that he recognize, just like other members that there is an urgency to have some improvement and restructuring, mainly in terms of air travel and marketing.

Bryan also mentioned that he is all prepared to take on the challenge, in partnership with his regional colleagues, of discovering new ways for addressing any problem they have within the organization to get competence and focus better.

Long the primary group marketing and promoting Caribbean destinations for travel, CTO in 2019, shut down New York and London regional offices. Conventionally, the organization has played a major role in gathering data and research on Caribbean travel.

Besides, the office closures, the leaders of CTO launched a comprehensive audit of its Barbados headquarters to considerably decrease operational spending. Bryan commended Cummins for looking into CTOs chairmanship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Kenneth Bryan named the chairman of Caribbean Tourism Organization - Travel And Tour World

For the most part, all-inclusive resorts have always fit into the same mold in the same general destinations. We're talking watered-down drinks and subpar food at resorts dotting the beaches up and down the Caribbean and Mexico.

Lately, though, the tide has been changing for the all-inclusive experience. Major hotel companies including Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt have been investing serious cash to break the all-inclusive stereotypes as they collect resorts around the world. It's been almost like a game of Monopoly but one with unlimited tequila and random breaks to limbo with your mother-in-law.

In this game, Hyatt just made one of the most interesting moves yet: It added five resorts in Bulgaria, along the Black Sea, to The Inclusive Collection.

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Last year, Hyatt closed its roughly $2.7 billion dollar acquisition of Apple Leisure Group, which added about 100 all-inclusive properties to the company's collection. These resorts consist of a series of all-inclusive brands including Secrets Resorts & Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spas and Breathless Resorts & Spas.

Now, World of Hyatt members can earn and redeem points for stays at these Apple Leisure Group properties, along with Hyatt's own Hyatt Zilara and Ziva resorts. However, since all-inclusive resorts operate a little differently than other hotels and resorts, Hyatt also decided to introduce a special awards chart exclusively for all-inclusive properties.

Related: 8 lessons I learned from my 1st all-inclusive vacation

While the company already has a few all-inclusive resorts in (or planned for) Greece and Spain, the rebranding of these five all-inclusive resorts in Bulgaria is Hyatt's first venture into the all-inclusive market along the Black Sea.

The five resorts are split across two Bulgarian resort areas, Sunny Beach and Obzor. These are popular destinations for European holiday travelers and are known for being extremely affordable. Here's a complete list of the properties and a brief description:

Of the five resorts being rebranded and renovated, all will assume the new branding in 2023 except for Breathless, where it is scheduled for 2024.

We've said it before and we'll say it again: All-inclusive resorts are getting a new life.

During the pandemic, all-inclusive resorts thrived; they were, in a way, built to provide everything travelers needed during that time, including space, convenience and isolation. That trend seems to be sticking as travelers realize that an all-inclusive vacation can be more than just a trip to a tropical locale.

Accor's Rixos brand serves up luxury all-inclusive experiences at more than two dozen properties in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Croatia and Kazakhstan. In Croatia, at the Rixos Premium Dubrovnik, guests can have an all-inclusive experience at a cliffside resort tucked into the Dalmatian Coast and still head out of the resort to explore Dubrovnik's Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

All-inclusive vacations can also be convenient for winter activities such as skiing or snowboarding. Club Med, a defining brand in the all-inclusive movement, has a number of all-inclusive ski resorts that are great for both seasoned pros and newbies to winter sports. You can find these resorts in Europe, Japan, China and even Canada at the new Cub Med Qubec Charlevoix. Who needs margaritas and sun when you can have snow and apres-ski?

Or, to really experience something wild, you could take page out of TPG writer Ben Smithson's book and take a trip to the cheapest all-inclusive resort in Egypt; it cost him just $41.46 a night.

The bottom line is whether you love or hate all-inclusive resorts, they're here to stay.

If these properties from Croatia to the Black Sea to the snowy mountains of Canada aren't doing it for you yet, give it some time. The new-age story of the all-inclusive resort is just starting to unfold.

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All-inclusive resorts aren't just for the Caribbean Hyatt's heading to Bulgaria - The Points Guy

Though weve known for some time that Disney would be moving forward with new iterations of Pirates of the Caribbean that would not star Johnny Depp, the actor also made it clear during his defamation trial it would take a million alpacas and more to get him back to play Captain Jack Sparrow. Still, while he may not want to return for the next sequel (despite the still-viral Pirates of the Caribbean 6 petition), he also is still game to embody the infamous character for fans.

In fact, in a recent video that went viral online, Depp brought up the line from the first Pirates film in which he and Keira Knightley. If youre a Pirates of the Caribbean stan I know you know what scene Im talking about (and if youre not, were about to get into some 20-year-old spoilers). The two get stranded on a deserted island together, after which Captain Jack Sparrow decides to get very, very drunk. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Swann has concocted her own plan: burning all the rum, which led to the very quotable moment, below.

The post has more than 45K views on Facebook and has popped up on other platforms (via YouTubes Vens Den), which makes sense given the Why is the rum gone? line has become iconic in it its own right in the years since the film came out in 2002.

This isnt the first time the actor has embodied the iconic character off of a Disney set and its unlikely to be the last. Previously, Depp popped up at Disneyland playing the character as boater on the franchises namesake ride road past. Hes also spoken out about bringing out Captain Jack Sparrow in public for the fans enjoyment before. revealing at the San Sebastian Festival that getting people to light up over the role is a particular delight.

I can travel with Captain Jack in a box - literally Captain Jack in a box - and when the opportunity is right and I'm able to go and visit people and places where the smiles and the laughs and the things that are important, the most important things in the world are on the line.

There's been a rallying cry from Depp's fans to bring back Captain Jack in contexts outside of viral videos like this one. A Disney exec has stated it has no plans to bring the character back into the fold, and again, Depp has not seemed interested in a return after allegedly getting dropped from Pirates and definitely getting dropped from Fantastic Beasts during the trial brouhahas with Amber Heard he's been a part of the last several years.

But I suppose if all fans get from "Captain Jack Sparrow" moving forward are some video moments, that's more than they could be getting.

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Johnny Depp May Not Want To Return For Pirates Of The Caribbean 6, But He's Certainly Game To Go Full Captain Jack Sparrow For The Fans - CinemaBlend

JUNEAU -- On a sunny September day, with fluffy white clouds scraping the mountain tops, one cruise ship after another sailed into port and docked here, releasing thousands of passengers on land to explore.

The ships included the Norwegian Spirit, Holland America's Noordam and the Majestic Princess. Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas was the last to arrive.

On the Serenade, dressed in a navy blue, Royal-branded puffy vest, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty stood on the worn dance floor of the Safari Lounge to hear from city officials, dock developers, restaurant owners and other members of the travel community who count on cruise companies to bring people to Alaska.

After the pandemic crushed the cruise industry in 2020 and a slow resumption of service in 2021, cruising finally returned to Alaska in earnest this year. As Liberty, who has been CEO for just over nine months, ventured on an end-of-season listening tour in Anchorage, Juneau and Sitka, what he heard was a mix of gratitude for the company's cruise business and challenges with ongoing labor shortages.

Royal Caribbean Group has had its own struggles. The company went from making about $10 billion a year before the pandemic to $0 during the stoppage, Liberty told them.

"I've had a lot of schooling in my life, probably too much schooling. There wasn't any lesson on how to deal with that," he told the dozens of Juneau leaders before him. "A huge impact to us, but also a huge impact to all these great communities."

Since 2020, the pandemic's impact has eased. Congress worked out a historic exemption to the Passenger Vessel Services Act in 2021, enabling cruise ships to resume sailing to Alaska without needing to stop in Canada, which had banned cruise ships until early 2022. The exemption allowed for a partial 2021 season in Alaska, where in 2019 one in 10 jobs was related to the travel industry.

"As we all learned, getting back up into business from practically zero was not a small task, and we were going to battle protocols, we were going to battle huge labor issues, and somehow, some way you were all able to do that in a very successful way," said Liberty. "We did it. We got off the other side of this."

With Canada dropping its cruise ban, 2022 became the first full cruise season since the pandemic began.

Royal Caribbean Group's three brands, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises, sailed 10 ships in Alaska this year. That's up from 2019, when the company sent six ships to the Last Frontier.

"This landscape here is some of the most incredible landscapes on the planet. Of course, we keep upping our game on our ships," said Liberty. "We want to always make sure the experience that's happening on the ship is also happening on land."

This first full season back was a good but challenging year, local leaders said. Cruise lines consistently delivered cruisers to explore the state's mountains, glaciers, nature, culture and food, but businesses struggled to hire enough workers to handle them all.

"Cruise lines have done an amazing job filling their beds," said Reecia Wilson, who owns five waterfront restaurants in Juneau.

She normally employs about 225 people between those locations, but due to labor shortages she is only able to operate three of the restaurants. "We're trying to crawl our way out of the pandemic," she said.

Preston Carnahan, who runs business and destination development on North America's west coast for Royal Caribbean International, said labor issues have also affected access to excursions, like coach tours or whale-watching.

"The tours that are available are selling out earlier," he said, leading some cruisers to fill in the gaps by booking outside tours.

The same labor issues that have plagued the lower 48 are present in Alaska, several business leaders said. Between retirements and the Great Resignation trend of workers leaving their jobs, many Alaska companies have struggled to employ enough staff, said Sarah Leonard, CEO of the Alaska Travel Industry Association. The association is now exploring how to better promote job opportunities to attract people to work in Alaska, she said.

Asked if businesses in Hoonah, the home of Icy Strait Point, have a labor issue, mayor Gerald Byers responded, "Who doesn't?" Those labor issues are across the board, including restaurants and hotels, he said. It's not just in travel; several city jobs posted a year ago have yet to be filled, he said.

Business is booming this year in Seward, a town of 3,000 residents where some 175,000 people came through this year on cruise ships, said Janette Bower, city manager.

And despite having no cruise ships in 2021, Liz DeMoss, a city council member and owner of Seward Alehouse, said the city hit record numbers for campground income in 2021 and high numbers of in-state travelers, which signaled to DeMoss and the city that people would be ready to travel again in 2022.

"Alaska was one of the more exotic places people could go when you couldn't travel to other countries yet," she said.

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On an Alaska listening tour, Royal Caribbean CEO hears the good and bad - Travel Weekly

Our weather today is going to feel more like mid August than mid September. We are coming off of a fairly hot Sunday. (not the chocolate kind). Temps were in the mid-upper 80s, and it was humid.

Today we are continuing with the heat. Our local high temps will be in the upper 80s with a couple of 90s inland.

Luckily, it wont be as hot as over parts of the Midwest. Some states will be hitting the triple digits between today and tomorrow.

We have high pressure over the region. This will give us lots of sunshine today. There is a cool front over the Midwest. It is steadily marching to the southeast.

Tomorrow well have a slight cool down with a little dip in the humidity. High temps will be in the mid 80s.

It should be fairly nice out, but it will be a few degrees above average. Well have fair skies with a light north wind. Then well heat up again on Wednesday as the winds turn out of the south once more. High temps will be in the upper 80s. It will be humid again as well. HOWEVER, a much stronger cold front is going to swing through the region on Thursday. Temps will drop a little into the mid 80s. If were lucky then well have a few rain showers along the front. However, Im not getting my hopes up too much on that. Regardless, we will have some much cooler and drier air sink into the region Friday into Saturday. High temps will be in the low-mid 70s.

The dew points will drop to the 40s. Wow!

The first day of Fall is Thursday, but technically that happens in the evening. So the first full day of Fall will be Friday. The timing couldnt be better.

Meanwhile hurricane Fiona has caused major problems over the eastern Caribbean islands. It caused one death on the small island of Guadeloupe. Then it made landfall over the extreme southwest corner of Puerto Rico yesterday afternoon.

A huge amount of the heavy rain fell to the west of the eye. The rain is still falling there this morning despite making a second landfall over the eastern Dominican Republic.

It created strong winds of category 1 strength over Puerto Rico. There were reports of flooding and widespread blackouts. Final rainfall amounts could be between 20 and 30 inches over some parts of the island.

This as they hit the 5 year anniversary of hurricane Maria which devastated the island.

Now strong winds are hitting the eastern Dominican Republic. They will get some heavy rain there as well, but it shouldnt be as heavy as over Puerto Rico.

The hurricane is still going to the west/northwest. This is taking the center a little be more to the west of the forecast and the latest models. However, everything is in agreement that it will take a north/northwest turn soon. After that it will get very close to the Turks and Caicos islands. It is forecast to strengthen over the warm Atlantic waters as it turns more to the northeast in a couple of days.

It will then take aim at Bermuda. The latest forecast has it passing just to the west of the island as a category 3 storm. Keep in mind that this track will likely be adjusted more to the west later today due to the recent jog west of the track. That would shift the northeast quadrant a little more to the west. That could be some good news for Bermuda, but its still too early to call. After Bermuda the storm will keep moving northeast and should weaken a bit over the north Atlantic. However, it could still hit Newfoundland as a hurricane.

The models are pretty tightly packed together. So there is a pretty high confidence in the forecast path.

While we may breathe a sigh of relief here that the storm is not headed this way (though we could probably use the rain), we will have an indirect impact. We will see some higher waves by the end of the week. Offshore waves could be up to about 12ft. However, nearshore waves could be around 4-5 feet.

It could be higher around Hatteras. This is a guestimate on my part as I look at the latest data, but we will have an actual forecast as we get closer to Friday. Regardless, we will have a higher threat for rip currents by the end of the week.

Stay tuned for updates.

Meteorologist: Jeremy Wheeler

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Blog: Hot to cool this week. Hurricane Fiona hits the eastern Caribbean. - WAVY.com

JetBlue Airways is resuming its only nonstop service to the French Caribbean Nov. 5, Caribbean Journal has confirmed.

The New York City-based carrier is restarting flights between New York Citys John F. Kennedy International Airport and Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe.

Beginning Nov. 5, JetBlue will operate three flights each week, with service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

We are thrilled aboutthe return of Jetblue in November, these are excellent news for the destination and for Americans who are eager to discover or to return to our French Caribbean archipelago for a unique experience, said Sonia Taillepierre, president of the Guadeloupe Tourist Board.

The relaunch comes as Guadeloupe recently lifted all of its pandemic health restrictions for travelers.

That means visitors dont have to show proof of vaccination or testing in order to enter the archipelago.

Guadeloupe is also gearing up for the return of the Accor Group to the destination; Accor had long operated an MGallery hotel at the Auberge de la Vieille Tour resort, before removing the brand before the pandemic.

Now, Accors Pullman brand is set to open next year with the Royal Key resort.

Guadeloupe has long been off the radar of American travelers, with its stopover arrivals dominated by visits from mainland france.

Now, Guadeloupe hopes to change that trend, highlighting the destinations outstanding cuisine, stunning natural beauty, shimmering beaches and one of the Caribbeans most vibrant rum-making scenes.

That extends across the Guadeloupe archipelago, from the rich volcanic soil of Basse-Terre to the charming maritime vibe of Les Saintes to the pristine environment of La Desirade.

This is ahighly anticipated seasonfor all our partners, said The future of travel is very promising as all health restrictions have been lifted.We are ready to welcome Americans.

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JetBlue Is Restarting Another Caribbean Nonstop Route - Caribbean Journal