Journese Adds Four Caribbean Destinations to Offerings

Curacao, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica and St. Kitts all recently made their Journese debut as the luxury brand of Pleasant Holidays announced this week the release of its new 2018-2019 Caribbean sales brochure.

Including the four new Caribbean destinations, the brochure features offerings across 22 island countries.

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The brochure includes four- and five-star properties, all-inclusive and adults-only resort options, private resort residences, Windstar Cruises, Jamaica’s Club Mobay VIP airport lounge and VIP fast-track service on select islands.

Travelers will also have access to all classes of air service, private transfers and activity options, plus special rates, complimentary nights, daily breakfast and resort credits.

The 2018-2019 Caribbean sales brochure has been mailed to travel agencies nationwide, and is also available for download and viewing at journe­se.com/brochures.

And here’s the latest news from the four Caribbean destinations making their Journese brochure debut.

Curacao

Increased flights and capacity, as well as re-routed bookings to the island during last year’s hurricane season, all factored into Curacao’s 10 percent increase in North American arrivals from May of 2017 to May of 2018, Gianina Atalita, the Curacao Tourist Board’s sales and marketing coordinator for North America, told TravelPulse in a recent interview.

The island, which also saw an overall 20 percent spike in arrivals from May of last year to this year, also benefited from strong branding efforts in its two core U.S. markets: New York City and South Florida.

The increase also comes at a time when American Airlines and JetBlue Airways are increasing airlift to the destination.

American Airlines announced earlier this year that it is going back to its Boeing 737-800 fleet, which will give Curacao increased capacity out of the Miami. American also recently added a second flight from Charlotte to Curacao. The seasonal flights will take off on Sundays and are available now through August, said Atalita.

And beginning December 19, American Airlines will be adding a third flight from Miami to Curacao.

In other positive flight news for the island, JetBlue recently added a fourth flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The new seasonal flight, which launched June 19, will run until Sept. 4.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Earlier in the year, St. Vincent and The Grenadines celebrated new weekly service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to the new Argyle International Airport (SVD) on the main island, St. Vincent.

The flights, which are operated by Caribbean Airlines, represent the first direct service to the destination from New York.

As far as hotels go, perhaps the biggest luxury news on St. Vincent and the Grenadines was perhaps Mandarin Oriental’s opening of its new Pink Sands Club on the northern end of the island of Canouan.

Dominica

Secret Bay, which is widely considered the best hotel on the island, is slated to reopen in November following repairs to damage caused by Hurricane Maria, according to a statement issued by owner Gregor Nassief earlier this year.

Secret Bay will reopen with six villas: Zabuco I, II and III; Ylang Ylang I and II and a new, larger Ti-Fy Villa. All Secret Bay villas will now offer private plunge pools.

St. Kitts

The St. Kitts Tourism Authority and Ministry of Tourism recently announced that St. Kitts has made cruise history.

The island received its one millionth cruise passenger, reaching the key number of arrivals that gives the island marquee port status for the first time in its history.

St. Kitts reached the one million cruise passenger mark this morning with the arrival of guests from Royal Caribbean International’s Freedom of the Seas. The ship, which has a capacity of 3,782 guests at double occupancy, docked at the island’s Port Zante cruise pier at 8 a.m.

While the destination continues to see an influx of cruise passengers, it is also well positioned to see an annual increase in land arrivals for years to come.

And the reason is all of the new, luxury product St. Kitts has unveiled recently, as well as the big luxury brands that are expected to expand to the destination in the future.

Perhaps the most buzzed-about-property on the island is the recently-opened Park Hyatt St. Kitts, which welcomed its first guests in November of 2017.

That opening followed the debut of the rustic, luxury resort, Belle Mont Farm, which opened in 2015.

As far as future developments go, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. has signed a management agreement with The Liamuiga Corporation to open a Ritz-Carlton resort in St. Kitts. Expected in 2021, this is the first time the award-winning luxury brand will be coming to the Eastern Caribbean island.

Also, Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas announced in March its intention to expand to St. Kitts by 2021. The resort is set on the site of a former sugar cane plantation with gentle hills rolling down to a long stretch of sandy beach fronting the Caribbean Sea. All of Six Senses’ projected 70 pool villas will have sea views.