Category Archives: Caribbean

If you thought Norwegian Airlines' $69 flights from the U.S. to Europe was the greatest thing ever for your wanderlust-filled heart, then you'll love their newest inexpensive routes.

According to Travel + Leisure, Norwegian Air has started to offer cheap flights to Martinique and Guadeloupe from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Providence, Rhode Island. Travelers can now book flights to both French Caribbean destinations starting at $79 one-way and $134 return trips.

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Paradise indeed!

"The new connection from Providence, with its great proximity to both Boston and Connecticut, is exciting as it will allow more American travelers much smoother and more affordable access to the Guadeloupe Islands," said Sandra Venite, of the Guadeloupe Islands Tourist Board, in a statement, Travel + Leisure reports.

These flights, which are on sale now, start on October 30 to Martinique and on November 2 to Guadaloupe. Additionally, the airline is preparing to launch flights from the U.S. to Rome, Italy for $189.

So, now seems like to perfect time to plan that fall/winter getaway!

[h/t Travel + Leisure]

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You Can Fly to the French Caribbean for $79 - Norwegian Air Cheap ... - HouseBeautiful.com (blog)

NATIONAL CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, 2017

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

National Caribbean-American Heritage Month is a celebration of the accomplishments of Caribbean Americans and our long, shared history with the peoples of the Caribbean. We are grateful for the culture Caribbean Americans have shared with our Nation and the many contributions they have made to our society.

Throughout our history, Caribbean Americans have helped create and maintain the strength and independence of our Nation. Alexander Hamilton, who came from poverty in Nevis, was a key contributor to our Constitution and the first Secretary of the Treasury, helping to establish our modern financial system and to create the United States Coast Guard.

Every day, Caribbean Americans help make America more prosperous and secure. Our Nation is particularly grateful to the many Caribbean Americans who have served and are currently serving in our Armed Forces, protecting our Nation, and promoting freedom and peace around the world. Today, more than four million Caribbean Americans live in the United States and continue to contribute to a vibrant culture that enriches our Nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2017 as National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. I encourage all Americans to join in celebrating the history, culture, and achievements of Caribbean Americans with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand seventeen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-first.

DONALD J. TRUMP

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President Donald J. Trump Proclaims June 2017 as National ... - The White House (blog)

BY JON CRONIN

As was the case with many immigrants, entrepreneur and motivational speaker Dr. Roy Hastick came to the United States in pursuit of the dream to create a better life for himself, but he never imagined that he would foster the dreams of others as well.

Hastick moved to America from Grenada in 1972 when he was 21 years old.

Every Caribbean person looked to America as the place for the American dream, he said.

He said that with experience in law enforcement in his native country, he was fortunate to have found a job quickly with the Port Authority at the World Trade Center. During his time there, he got to know then-Executive Director Peter C. Goldmark.

We developed a rapport, said Hastick, who later took a job as Goldmarks security assistant. I met many elected officials and I was inspired.

He eventually took positions in other city agencies. In the early 1980s, he began working with a man who published a Caribbean-American newspaper.

I fell in love [with publishing] and started my own paper, said Hastick.

His paper didnt last long, but Hastick said that he enjoyed being part of the community.

While I was publishing, I met many luminaries and entrepreneurs, he said. I was working with a lot of small business owners and, as a result, I started the Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry. There was no chamber of commerce in New York City at the time.

He described the chamberwhich was founded in 1985as a nonprofit statewide organization that promotes business between the United States and the Caribbean via offices in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

We represent a sizable amount of folks in Queens, said Hastick.

Today, the chamber boasts a membership of 1,700 in the tri-state area and Caribbean. For the past 32 years, it has promoted economic development on behalf of Caribbean American, African American, women and other minority entrepreneurs.

Hastick, who is the president and CEO of the nonprofit, continues his efforts to create structure and harmony in a diverse small-business community.

In the 1990s, Hastick was presented with an honorary doctorate of humane letters by Medgar Evers CUNY College in Brooklyn.

The chamber will hold its annual celebration on June 8 at Brooklyn Borough Hall as part of Caribbean Heritage month and then have a 32nd anniversary celebration in November.

Hastick has convened more than 700 business development seminars that bring together the chambers membership with other entrepreneurs and the wider business community to network.

During the seminars, he said that he talks about how he started the chamber, its vision and how he partners with other institutions. He also discusses networking with agencies that work locally and internationally and push two-way trade.

The chamber has provided weekly business clinics on access to financing, certification preparation and promoting trade, Caribbean investment and financial literacy.

Under his leadership, the chamber has managed the city-owned, Brooklyn-based micro enterprise incubator, a 9,000-square-foot Flatbush Canton Vendors Market that houses 40 vendors selling a variety of African and Caribbean artifacts and a small business service center.

Hastick is also coordinating the creation of a mixed-use project with a Caribbean American Trade Center, 250 units of affordable housing, an upscale Flatbush Canton Vendors Market and cultural center.

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Promoting Enterprise In The Caribbean Community - Queens Tribune

Five Pirates of the Caribbean movies later, these film critics have decided it's time to abandon ship after watching the latest installation, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

1. "Its a little less cute these days to watch [Johnny Depp's] Jack Sparrow swish about drunkenly, knowing the actors been accused of being an abusive lush. Equally wearisome is the spectacle of a once-entertaining franchise staggering around, devoid of purpose." New York Post

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2. "Abandon ship, audiences. Paying cash money to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is the equivalent of walking the plank." Rolling Stone

3. "Now, 14 years and four films later, the Pirates franchise has finally delivered exactly what cynics had expected all along. Containing only the faintest traces of the spark that turned this once unpromising idea into a nearly four billion-dollar enterprise, Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandbergs Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is a mercenary, visually unappealing exercise in brand maintenance." Variety

4. "I daresay it is the very best fourth sequel ever made to a movie based on a 50-year-old theme park ride. Bold words I know, but I stand by them, yo-ho, yo-ho." NPR

5. "Dead Men Tell No Tales suggests that there still may be more Pirates of the Caribbean story to discover perhaps a prequel but there are no new treasures to be found in this installment, which is dragged down by the anchor of a prescribed franchise blueprint." Los Angeles Times

6. "This review will be short and dismissive. The movie under consideration Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is, by contrasts, long and punishing. Its pleasures are so meager, its delight in its own inventions so forced and false, that it becomes almost the perfect opposite of entertainment." New York Times

Disney

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7. "Yes, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales remains true to its Disney theme park roots. Loud, overstimulating and hard to take in all in one sitting, it feels like the vacation that youll need a vacation from." Washington Post

8. "After this fifth episode, you'll wish Disney would just declare the franchise dead and tell no more tales." Associated Press

9. "The dead tell a tale in the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but unfortunately that tale is erratic, filled with holes, peppered with far-too-convenient plot points and tarnished by over-the-top situations that go beyond comical and land in the territory of just plain absurd." Guide Live

10. "Fourteen years have passed since the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. So its easy to forget just how fresh and funny Johnny Depps Jack Sparrow once was ... That was then, and each swollen successor Dead Mans Chest (2006), At Worlds End (2007), On Stranger Tides (2011) has brought the franchise closer to a thudding now." Boston Globe

11. "The end may be nigh with the fifth film in the franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Its a muddled mix of fantasy, adventure, adult innuendo and kid-level comedy, but barely works on any of those levels. The movie veers so wildly between tones and moods that it often seems as inebriated as Sparrow himself." Newsday

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12. "Dead men may tell no tales, but bored audience members do. Open bar, anyone? Can we toast the end of this franchise? Please?" Seattle Times

Disney

13. "But this is the fifth film in the license-to-print-money series based on a Disneyland ride. Thats fitting. Ever ridden an amusement-park ride once and it was really fun and exciting? And then you rode it again and again and it got less fun, until finally you wondered why you liked it in the first place? And here we are." Arizona Republic

14. "There are dead people wanting to come back to life in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, so maybe what we have in this movie is one big, unconscious metaphor: screenwriters hoping to flog a dead concept to life. Actors trying to supply dead vessels with a human soul. And a director trying to pump air and passion into a stinking corpse of a franchise." San Francisco Chronicle

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15. "But then there are the two romantic leads, who have their own reasons for finding a fabled doohickey called Poseidons Trident (they both involve father issues, the thematic focus of this very special episode of Pirates of the Caribbean) and succeed only in making the shortest movie in the series seem just as long as the rest." A.V. Club

16. "Yes, dead men tell no tales but neither, really, do the Pirates of the Caribbean movies." Village Voice

17. "Depp remains wholeheartedly the focus of this fifth Pirates film, and saying the character's loopy novelty has faded is like complaining that there are maggots in the below-decks gruel: You knew what you were getting when you came aboard." The Hollywood Reporter

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17 Meanest Things Critics Have Said About the New Pirates of the Caribbean - Cosmopolitan.com

Forbes

Ex-Dividend Reminder: PepsiCo, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Nike Forbes Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 5/31/17, PepsiCo Inc (NYSE: PEP), Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (NYSE: RCL), and Nike (NYSE: NKE) will all trade ex-dividend for their respective upcoming dividends. PepsiCo Inc will pay ... and more »

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Ex-Dividend Reminder: PepsiCo, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Nike - Forbes

Notting Hill Carnival, 2016. When its my time to join the dearly departed I want colour, music and life all around me. Photograph: Neil Hall/Reuters

Generations ago, when someone passed on after reaching their biblical threescore years and ten, there was no sense that anything tragic had occurred. These days, 70 is starting to look like an early death. Perhaps this explains why theres so much confusion about the age at which a death seems part of the natural order of things, and what levelof mourning is appropriate.

A vicar recently told me that hesbecome fed up with relatives weeping and wailing at the funerals of the very aged, but theres no real reason why losing someone at 90 should be any less painful. In fact, if theyve been part of your life for so much longer, it might even be worse.

Its a truism that everyone deals with partings in their own way and for some, thats quiet reflection or silent goodbyes. Many find the eating, drinking and dancing at a Caribbean funeral, like the one I went to recently, too up-tempo for their tastes. But thats merely one way of asserting a belief in life over death. As long as mourning is genuine, it shouldnt really matter. Personally, when its my time to join the dearly departed, Iwant colour, music and life all around me.

At the other end of the age spectrum, theres welcome news from America that proves that youngsters are not quite as in thrall to the cult of fame and celebrity as is popularly supposed. More than 100 students from a school in Wisconsin refused to pose for a photo with the House speaker, Paul Ryan, while they were on a school trip to Washington. Theres no doubt that Ryan is very famous, although thats mainly for kowtowing to Trump. But that wasnt enough to convince these students to overlook his politics. At a time when youngsters are supposed to be up for a selfie with Satan himself if they spot him coming out of a nightclub, this story suggests otherwise.

It follows a recent Royal Society for Public Health report warning about the impact social media are having on the mental health of young people. Theres no doubt that the relentless peddling of anxiety about the way youth represents itself is having a negative effect. Theres also little sign that Instagram and Snapchat (the worst offenders, according to the RSPH) are planning to do anything about it. These Wisconsin students have shown the way.

Although I enjoy broadcasting, theres no doubt it can be a highly pressurised environment. There are strict codes and guidelines, and you have to stick to them. Then theres always the danger that you might find yourself embroiled in, ahem, controversy and that can be a very time-consuming business. So when Iwas invited to join a team of writers for a celebrity edition of the BBC quiz show Eggheads this week, I jumped at the chance. It sounded like a far more relaxed form of television than anything I was used to.

But when I found myself sitting on my panel in the studio, facing real Eggheads, who actually know their general knowledge, I started to worry. No amount of thumbing through Wikipedia the night before would have helped. Then there were my writer teammates, who I knew would be very supportive afterwards if I got a simple question wrong. But that wasnt helping either. There are nine categories of question you can be asked, and I wasnt a specialist in any of them. I like a lot of music, but I dont know my Fidelio from my Madama Butterfly, if a question on either of those came up. Perhaps an hour being grilled by Jeremy Paxman is more pressure. Butsomehow, Idoubt it.

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When I die, I want a party in true Caribbean style - The Guardian

It was smooth sailing to the top spot at the box office for "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," but the waters were choppier for the Dwayne Johnson comedy "Baywatch."

Studio estimates on Sunday say the fifth installment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise commandeered $62.2 million in its first three days in theaters.

The Johnny Depp-starrer is projected to take in $76.6 million over the four-day holiday weekend.

It was the second-lowest domestic opening for the nearly $4 billion franchise, but the latest film, which cost a reported $230 million to produce, has massive international appeal. Its four-day global total is expected to hit $300 million.

Having the majority of profits come from international receipts is not worrying Walt Disney Studios.

"This is a trend that we've seen play out over the course of these films," said Dave Hollis, executive vice president of distribution for Disney. "'Pirates' is a huge spectacle film of the kind that international audiences continue to be drawn toward ... but the domestic response also shows that the audience for this film is clearly there."

The R-rated "Baywatch," meanwhile, is sinking like a rock. The critically derided update of the 1990s TV show earned only $18.1 million over the weekend against a nearly $70 million price tag. Including Thursday earnings, the film is projected to collect $26.6 million by the close of Memorial Day.

Even "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" did better in its fourth weekend. The space opera added $19.9 million to take second place ahead of "Baywatch" at the box office.

The "Baywatch" miss could be attributable to a couple of factors. Even with the star power of Johnson, R-rated Hollywood updates to family friendly television shows have a dubious track record, ComScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said.

Earlier this year, Dax Shepard's R-rated update of "CHiPs" tanked, netting only $18.6 million domestically against a $25 million budget.

This month's box office has also been tough on nearly every film except "Guardians of the Galaxy."

"'Baywatch' doesn't stand alone as a casualty in this marketplace," Dergarabedian said. "It's joining a cadre of other films that have underperformed."

Even the decently reviewed "Alien: Covenant" dropped an uncommonly steep 71 percent in its second weekend in theaters to take fourth place with $10.5 million. The teen romance "Everything, Everything" rounded out the top five with $6.2 million.

"Hollywood needs June to save the box office world," Dergarabedian said.

First up to that challenge: "Wonder Woman."

U.S. and Canadian theaters for Memorial Day weekend according to comScore:

1."Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," $77 million

2."Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," $25.2 million

3."Baywatch," $23 million

4."Alien: Covenant," $13.15 million

5."Everything, Everything," $7.38 million

6."Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul," $5.8 million

7."Snatched," $4.9 million

8."King Arthur: Legend of the Sword," $4.1 million

9."The Boss Baby," $2.3 million

10."Beauty and the Beast," $1.9 million

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'Baywatch' bombs at box office, 'Pirates of the Caribbean' wins Memorial Day weekend - Fox News

After 14 years on the high seas, Geoffrey Rush is hanging up his captain's hat.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men tell No Tales" sees the actor saying goodbye to Captain Barbossa, after the character sacrifices himself to save the daughter he never knew he had, Carina (Kaya Scoledario).

While the swashbuckling franchise has seen its fair share of actors wander in and out of the series throughout its five films, Rush told TooFab he thinks this is it for him.

"I did say to [producer] Jerry Bruckheimer, 'I think this is the end for Barbossa,'" he explained. "[His death] expanded the world dramatically of the genre of a tentpole blockbuster, to lose an important character is kind of good. It all made sense and didn't feel like an easy dramatic device. "

"And I think the notion of the selfless sacrifice, you'd cheapen that if you suddenly went, 'Well, we'll bring him back because we had the scorecards filled out and everyone said they liked Barbossa,'" he added with a laugh. "I think it would undermine the impact that had on me and the impact it had one my own daughter, because she was working on the film. She was so proud of me, being up on the anchor, it was great."

Rush In "Curse of the Black Pearl"/Everett Collection

Of course, he's wise to never say never.

"They could come up with something," he added. "Or he could come back like Hamlet's father as a ghost and just annoy Jack with wisdom."

That's a sentiment shared by Bruckheimer as well, who told TooFab "You never know with us. We can always bring characters back when we love them and we love him."

If Rush doesn't return, his character's bloodline can still live on though.

"I'd love to see her taking the reigns of Daddy Barbossa," Scoledario said. "I'd love to see if she wants to incorporate her love of astronomy and horology into being a badass pirate. I cant wait to see, if we do more movies, what she can do next."

The post-credits scene also teased the return of another long-lost pirate, Davy Jones. While Bruckheimer wouldn't confirm the character would appear in a potential sequel, he simply teased, "I love Davy Jones, he was such an iconic cinema character. Bill Nighy, his interpretation is awesome."

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" is in theaters now.

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'Pirates of the Caribbean' Star on That Shocking Death: 'I Think This ... - TooFab

Getting to the dive resort location in eastern Puerto Rico couldnt have been easier. Ive bragged about San Juans Caribe Hilton all week, so why stop now? From the lobby, we were able to easily secure a rental car, a cute little Kia Soul, with Enterprise for my last day in Puerto Rico. A bargain too, only $25 for the day.

Aqua Adventures was in full prep mode when we arrived. The crew was loading equipment onto a 45-foot Newton to accommodate dozens wanting to snorkel, scuba dive, bubble-watch (people who prefer to watch) and a new adventure called SNUBA or Surface Nexus Underwater Breathing Apparatus.

With the supervision of professional SNUBA guides, Aqua Adventures is the only company in Puerto Rico licensed to do so.

With an over-the-top Minnesotan accent, Boat Captain, Nick Holt, introduced himself and his cast of helpful characters onboard. The team would prove to help make safe our adventure to a sandbar around Isla Palominos and a second spot called Caye Diablo.

These places are unique because of the reef and how they are protected. Temperature-wise, current-wise, surge-wise; these spots are protected from the Atlantic which provides all the life because they are sheltered inside the Caribbean.

Many of the guests enjoyed seafaring on rough waves swaying gracefully to the funky collection of island music blasting from the boat stereo. Poor Susan wasnt quite as relaxed.

New to the experience, my new friend contributed greatly to chumming the wide expanse of blue water. Actually, so did I. Maybe we enjoyed one too many pieces of watermelon generously supplied during the 30-minute lunch break?

But the misery of being seasick passed quickly, distracted by wild dolphins on the horizon and swimming with endangered sea turtles. Also, who can help but strike up conversations with so many witty, heartfelt and gadget-carrying pros?

Enjoy this embedded sequence compiled from the day. Im still waiting to download GoPro footage shot by others but, for now, make note of Georges joie de vivre at the end of the video.

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Shallow diving with Joan Jett in the Caribbean Ocean - Albany Times Union (blog)

Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

Royal Caribbean opens bookings for 2018/2019 Australia season Royal Caribbean Blog (blog) For the 2018/2019 season, Australia will welcome Ovation of the Seas for her third and longest season yet. She will be joined by Explorer of the Seas, as well as Radiance of the Seas. Radiance will offer Royal Caribbean's very first departure from ... and more »

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Royal Caribbean opens bookings for 2018/2019 Australia season - Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)