Going Our Way: Three Caribbean trip ideas for Turks and Caicos, Cozumel or Punta Cana

washingtonpost.com: "Bonaire, for example, is widely considered the best dive destination in the Caribbean, but if you're looking for miles of white-sand beaches, forget it. Turks and Caicos, another highly regarded dive spot, has a laid-back vibe and pretty beaches, but you'd have to scale back considerably on lodging to stay within your budget. Mexico's Cozumel boasts a winning combo of fantastic dive sites and more affordable all-inclusives, but the island isn't particularly known for its beaches. And in the Dominican Republic's Punta Cana, you can have your pick of fancy oceanfront resorts at affordable prices, but the diving isn't as dramatic."

Caribbean cruise, 7 nights, from $399

msnbc.com: "The Real Deal: Seven nights' accommodations in an inside cabin aboard the Caribbean Princess, all meals and nonalcoholic drinks, and nightly entertainment, from $399 per person—plus about $38 in taxes.

When: April 11, 25."

Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda, Cruises, Trends-Research

Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda, Cruises, Trends-Research: "The murder of a Star Clippers cruise passenger last month in Antigua has prompted the cruise line to cancel calls there and is also having an effect on land visitors as well, according to a major Caribbean tour operator.

We spoke to representatives of MLT Vacations, which manages both Continental Airlines Vacations and Delta Vacations, and learned that Antigua bookings have dropped significantly since the widespread media coverage of the murder has gotten bigger.

For MLT Vacations, bookings to the island were strong for this travel season with the two-week period of January 14- 28 representing the company’s two biggest booking weeks for the destination to date."

Jamaica, air/3 nights, from $539

Deals- msnbc.com: "The Real Deal: Round-trip airfare to Montego Bay on a major carrier; three nights at the Breezes Resort & Spa Rio Bueno; round-trip transfers; all meals, snacks, and beverages; nightly entertainment; water sports and other activities, including golf on a nine-hole course; fuel surcharges; and hotel taxes and fees, from $539 per person — plus about $113 in airport taxes and fees."

St. Lucia resort drapes itself in romance

Metro "No surprise that more couples today are stealing away from hectic, stressful daily life to spend “time-out” side-by-side at a spa.
What better way to renew the spark and energy of a romance than with a little private “us” time for hands-on therapy. With V-Day just around the corner, hotels and resorts are ramping up the romance by bringing out the big guns: champagne, chocolate and roses."

Haiti earthquake: The latest news for travellers to the Caribbean

Mail Online: "Tourist boards and operators have moved to reassure UK holidaymakers bound for the Caribbean in the wake of yesterday's devastating earthquake in Haiti.
The Dominican Republic shares a border with the troubled country on the island of Hispaniola, and is a popular destination for Britons.
The magnitude 7.0 quake was felt in the Dominican Republic, but there were no reports of damage there."

What's better: Caribbean cruise or resort?

Philadelphia Inquirer | "With winter coming, an onslaught of new megavessels brimming with amenities and creative creature comforts again steams toward the Caribbean.
In fact, so spectacular are these new ships that they essentially are destinations unto themselves, boasts Andy Stuart, executive vice president of Norwegian Cruise Line.

But those big, brassy high-rise resorts at sea - many taller than the Statue of Liberty, some too fat to fit through the Panama Canal, and others so long they dwarf a football stadium - come with novelties, such as a New-York-styled Central Park and a Coney Island-like Boardwalk, and they arrive with heftier fares."

Barbuda: Dreamy days and starry nights in the Caribbean

Telegraph: "On Barbuda's Low Bay, we eat breakfast at the top of the 'lighthouse' – an open-sided, two-storey tower plonked in the middle of our resort – admiring the 360-degree view of the Caribbean. A frigate bird passes, but otherwise there's nothing in sight. At night, we return for cocktails. This time there are stars by the million above us, but we feel as if we're the only people on Earth. 'Look, there's Jupiter!' says Mo, the hotel manager, as if greeting an old friend. Son of a master mariner, he points his telescope at the inky sky, a mass of stellar wonder."

More cruise ship passengers descend on St. Kitts

Sun St. Kitts "Over 21,000 sun and fun seeking cruise passengers visited St. Kitts in the past five days, according to the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA).

SCASPA said over 17,000 passengers are expected between Tuesday and Saturday.

Six thousand passengers visited on 26 Dec., 5,793 on 27 Dec., and 4,619 on 25 Dec.

On 24 Dec., the 2,500-passenger Norwegian Dawn arrived from Barbados with 2,693 passengers and 1,071 crew and departed for Florida."

AirTran Airways Continues Island Expansion Caribbean gets new flights to Aruba

eTurboNews.com: "AirTran Airways launched new service between Atlanta and Aruba today, offering one nonstop flight each week. On January 9, 2010, the airline will also introduce weekly nonstop flights between Orlando and Aruba."