Category Archives: Caribbean

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.

Read more from the original source:

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

ITALY - Haute Retreats announce the addition of five new Caribbean villas to its rental portfolio. First-class getaways with unforgettable service and thoughtful personal touches are what Haute Retreats is famous for. With the addition of their newest luxury rentals in the Caribbean, the popular travel company invites guests to savor the finer things in life and capture the essence of personal and exclusive travel experiences of the highest standards.

Haute Retreats claims that When you book a villa rental, it is not only the destination itself, but we pride ourselves on selecting our locations for the complete experience the villas have to offer from the setting, villa manager, customer service, luxury facilities, and amenities.

Haute Retreats brand-new villas are in some of the most exotic Caribbean destinations, such as Grand Cayman, Harbor Island, Bahamas, Cap Cana, Turks and Caicos, and St. Barts. Each gorgeous villa immerses guests in a Caribbean adventure complete with awe-inspiring waterfront views, white sand beaches, and unparalleled luxury, earning Haute Retreats a reputation as an industry leader in providing the ultimate in extravagance and personal pampering.

The company provides superior travel experiences that ensure the most memorable vacations with unrivaled luxury villas and resorts around the world. The Haute Retreats team is delighted to unveil their new Caribbean Villas and welcome guests to indulge in the ultimate in comfort and opulence in yet another stunning location. Or as they say at Haute Retreats, Tis the season to claim your spot on a Caribbean beach for fall.

Haute Retreats is committed to providing incredible lifestyle events for their guests and invites everyone to visit one of their newest luxury villa rentals in the beautiful Caribbean. These impressive dream vacation villas in tropical settings are now available for reservation.

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Haute Retreats announces five new Caribbean villas available to book - Travel Daily News International

By NAN Staff Writer

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. Sept. 19, 2022: The Caribbean will be fully represented at the funeral today of the late Queen of England and former head of the Commonwealth, not just by regional leaders and representatives but by a Caribbean woman who is the head of the Commonwealth.

Dominica-born Baroness, Patricia Scotland, the 6th Commonwealth Secretary-General, will deliver the second reading at todays funeral. The first will be read by the Prime Minister of England, Liz Truss.

Countries that are now republics, including Barbados, will be represented at the funeral today. Barbados will also fly its flag at half-staff today while Grenada will observe two minutes of silence today. Several countries also declared national days of mourning.

The Caribbean leaders scheduled to attend the state funeral for the late Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey in London from 11:00 hours BST today are:

Barbados which ditched the Queen as head of state last year and is now a Republic is sending Dame Sandra Mason, its President, to the funeral and will also fly its flag at half-staff on buildings across the island today.

Antigua & Barbuda PM Gaston Browne will be attending along with Governor General Rodney Williams, despite a big announcement last week that he will be moving to make the country a Republic.

Jamaica The Governor General Sir Patrick Allen along Prime Minister, Andrew Holness.

The Turks & Caicos The Governor of the Turks & Caicos Nigel Dakin and Premier Charles Washington Misick.

The Cayman Islands The Governor of the Cayman Islands Martyn Keith Roper and Premier G. Wayne Panton.

Bermuda Governor General Rena Lalgie and Premier David Burt.

BVI Governor General John J. Rankin and Premier Natalio D. Wheatley.

Montserrat Governor General Sarah Tucker and Premier Easton Taylor-Farrell.

Trinidad & Tobago a Republic, will be represented by its President Paula Mae-Weekes.

St. Lucia Acting Governor-General of Saint Lucia, Errol Charles.

The Bahamas will be presented by Prime Minister of Bahamas, Philip Brave Davis and Governor General Sir Cornelius Smith.

Grenada will be represented by Governor General Dame Dr Ccile La Grenade and the country will observe two minutes of silence today as well.

St. Kitts and Nevis will be represented by new foreign affairs minister, Denzil Douglas.

Belize will be represented by its Governor General Dame Froyla Tzalam.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be represented by its Governor General, Dame Susan Dougan.

Dominica Speaker of the House of Assembly, Honourable Joseph Isaac, will represent the Commonwealth of Dominica.

Guyana a Republic will be represented bv Gail Teixeira, of the office of minister of parliamentary affairs and governance.

Most of the leaders will be bussed en masse from the Royal Hospital site in west London. King Charles III will host a reception for all the overseas leaders at Buckingham Palace on the evening before the funeral service.

Visiting heads of state will be able to attend the lying-in-state of the queens body, and sign the condolence book at Lancaster House immediately afterward. While at Lancaster House, foreign leaders will be able to deliver a tribute to the late queen lasting up to three minutes, which will be recorded for the media.

After the funeral service, foreign leaders will be escorted on foot to Deans Yard, still within the grounds of the abbey, to attend a reception hosted by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, after which they will return by coach to west London to collect their cars.

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Whos Representing The Caribbean At The Queens Funeral Today? - Caribbean and Latin America Daily News - News Americas

Ten years after its last visit to the country, the Voyager of the Seas is returning to the United States today.

Docked in Boston, the 1999-built ship is concluding a transatlantic crossing ahead of a series of Canada and New England cruises.

Extending through October, the fall program includes six week-long cruises departing from the Flynn Cruiseport Boston.

With different itineraries, the sailings include visits to several ports, including Halifax, Saint John, Bar Harbor, Charlottetown, Portland and others.

Voyagers last visit to a stateside port took place on April 12, 2012. At the day, the vessel departed New Orleans on a repositioning voyage to Spain.

Following a long period sailing exclusively in the Asia-Pacific region, the Royal Caribbean International vessel returned to the Western Hemisphere earlier this year.

Resuming service for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 142,000-ton ship offered a summer season in Northern Europe that marked its debut in the region.

The program featured seven- to 11-night itineraries to Scandinavia and the Baltic visiting Sweden, Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Poland and more.

In November, the Voyager is also set to return to the Caribbean for a winter season sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Once the worlds largest cruise ship, the Voyager of the Seas is the lead vessel in a series of five ships known as Voyager-Class.

After originally entering service in 1999, the 3,100-guest vessel spent most of its time cruising in the Caribbean before being transferred to the Far East in 2012.

As part of Royal Caribbeans investment in the region, the vessel sailed from several local homeports, including Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tianjin and Yokohama.

The Voyager also sailed in Southeast Asia and Australia during the period, with cruises departing from Singapore, Sydney and more.

Extensively refurbished over the years, the ship underwent a major renovation in 2019.

As part of the Royal Amplified program, a fleet modernization effort, the $97-million refit added new features, redesigned spaces and new cabins to the ship.

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Royal Caribbean's Voyager Returns to the United States After Ten Years - Cruise Industry News

The tropical disturbance in the central Atlantic has now been given a high chance of development by the NHC with a 70% chance of development over the next five days.

As is typical for the peak of hurricane season, the FOX Forecast Center is tracking a robust disturbance moving across the central tropical Atlantic that could develop into a tropical depression as it eyes the northeastern Caribbean islands and Puerto Rico late this week.

The tropical disturbance is centered less than 800 miles east of the northeastern Caribbean islands and is producing a large area of showers and thunderstorms. Satellite observations indicate this shower and storm activity is showing signs of organization after finding a pocket of favorable environmental conditions on Wednesday morning.

ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON REACHES CLIMATOLOGICAL PEAK SEPT. 10

This disturbance has been dubbed Invest 96L by the National Hurricane Center. An invest is simply a naming convention used by the NHC to identify an area of weather that it is investigating for possible development into a tropical depression or tropical storm within the next five days.

WHAT IS AN INVEST DURING HURRICANE SEASON?

According to the FOX Forecast Center, upper-level winds are not particularly conducive for additional development, but only a slight increase in this disturbance's organization would result in the formation of a tropical depression as it generally moves westward over the central tropical Atlantic during the next day or so.

The NHC currently gives Invest 96L a high chance of development.

The tropical disturbance is expected to move near or over the northeastern Caribbean islands, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, on Friday and Fridaynight.

"What that means is the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles, (including) Puerto Rico, need to be on alert now because we are expecting to see showers and thunderstorms start to increase in that activity, and we could see some pretty strong wind gusts out of these thunderstorms that are again intensifying in these warmer waters of the Atlantic," FOX Weather meteorologist Jane Minar said.

Recent rainfall has saturated the soils in Puerto Rico, so any additional heavy rain from Invest 96L between Friday and Saturday could lead to flooding in urban areas and small streams, as well as trigger mudslides in the archipelago's mountainous terrain.

WHERE TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES TYPICALLY OCCUR DURING EACH MONTH OF ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON

Early to mid-September is the time of the season when sea-surface temperatures are the warmest, upper-level winds relax and drier air is typically not widespread.

Unlike recent active years, dry air has been more dominant than usual across the eastern parts of the Atlantic Basin, which has stunted the organization and development of tropical cyclones.

August ended without seeing a single tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Basin for only the second time in the satellite era.

HURRICANE SEASON 2022: AUGUST FINISHES WITHOUT ANY NAMED STORMS FOR FIRST TIME IN DECADES

During an average year, eight named storms and three hurricanes have typically already formed by now, but so far in 2022, the tally stands at only five named storms and two hurricanes.

The next system to organize into a tropical storm with winds of at least 40 mph will be called Fiona.

A table showing an alphabetical list of the 2022 Atlantic tropical cyclone names as selected by the World Meteorological Organization. The official Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.

(FOX Weather)

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Invest 96L could become a tropical depression as it approaches the Caribbean islands, Puerto Rico - Fox Weather

Royal Caribbean, the cruise company that also operates Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises, has announced that itll be outfitting its fleet of ships with SpaceXs Starlink internet service (via TechCrunch). The company says the service will make the internet experience while at sea faster and more reliable.

Royal Caribbean seems to be moving full steam ahead with deploying Starlink it trialed the service on one of its ships over the summer, and will be officially launching it on September 5th, starting with a ship called the Celebrity Beyond. The company expects to have the service fully deployed across its fleet by the first quarter of 2023.

Royal Caribbeans announcement doesnt include technical details, like how many Starlink dishes its ships would use, or how much bandwidth would be split between a few thousand passengers. However, the company does promise that people will be able to use streaming services and make video calls.

SpaceXs boat-focused internet service, Starlink Maritime, is relatively new, having debuted earlier this summer. Currently, it only covers coastal waters in parts of North and South America (including the Caribbean), Europe, and around Australia and New Zealand, but SpaceX says it plans on covering most of the worlds oceans by Q1 2023.

SpaceX has a lot going on with Starlink at the moment. Perhaps the most obvious is its partnership with T-Mobile to beam texts and calls to cell phones, using second-generation satellites that it plans on launching next year. The company is also working with Hawaiian Airlines and charter carrier JSX to provide in-flight Wi-Fi, something that Delta (and likely others) are also looking into. For those of us on land, the company recently launched a version of Starlink for RVs.

Meanwhile, the cruise industry has had a hard time recovering from the pandemic, according to a report from Reuters. Like many other businesses, cruise companies have had staffing issues, with some even having to cancel trips. Theres also the question of whether people will continue to spring for luxuries like cruises, as financial leaders like Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warn that efforts to fight inflation will bring some pain to households and businesses.

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Royal Caribbean is putting SpaceX's Starlink on its cruise ships - The Verge