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Business, Travel

Norwegian Cruise Line Extends Cruises To Cuba Through 2018

Published 11 April 2017

FLORIDA, United States, Tuesday April 11, 2017 – Norwegian Cruise Line will further extend its offering of weekly roundtrip cruises from Miami to Cuba through 2018, with 33 new voyages.

The all-inclusive Norwegian Sky will begin her 2018 Cuba cruise season in March, sailing four-day roundtrip cruises from Miami, with 32 of the cruises to include an overnight stay in Cuba’s historical and culturally-rich capital of Havana, as well as a call on Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian’s private island in the Bahamas.

These new cruises will begin on March 26, 2018 and are in addition to the previously announced 30 calls that Norwegian will offer through December 2017.

“Cuba is a spectacular destination and we are seeing incredible demand from our guests to experience the beautiful and cultural-rich city of Havana and her warm and friendly people,” said Andy Stuart, president and chief executive officer for Norwegian Cruise Line.

“We are excited to provide even more opportunities for our guests to experience this incredible destination into 2018.”

Norwegian Sky will transport guests to the very heart of Havana, offering guests the opportunity to visit historical sites such as Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; view incredible art and listen to the vibrant local music scene; and visit with Cuba’s warm and friendly residents through people-to-people exchanges. Norwegian will offer a selection of 15 half and full-day shore excursions.

Norwegian Sky’s sailings to Cuba will also feature a call to Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian’s private island destination in the Bahamas. Great Stirrup Cay was recently enhanced to offer guests new ways to enjoy the island with additional pathways, seating and shaded lounge areas, with additional features still to come, including a private luxury lagoon enclave for suite guests and guests of The Haven.

Norwegian Sky’s four-day cruises to Cuba will open for sale on April 20.

Business, Travel

No More New York-San Juan Flights on American Airlines Soon

Published 11 April 2017

NEW YORK, United States, Tuesday April 11, 2017 – After 46 years of flying non-stop between New York and San Juan, Puerto Rico, American Airlines (AA) is bringing that service to an end.

On August 21, 2017, AA’s last flight from John F King International Airport (JFK) to San Juan will leave at 7:45 p.m. The following day, the last flight from San Juan to JFK will leave at 9 a.m., discontinuing a route it has flown since the early 1970s.

AA spokeswoman LaKesha Beown told USA Today in a statement that the decision to cancel the service was a “difficult” one.

“We continually evaluate our network, looking at supply and demand for each route we serve. We want to ensure our fleet and crews are serving routes that are profitable, better positioning us for long term success against global competition,” she said.

The airline will continue to fly 21 daily flights between San Juan and five of its other hubs: Charlotte, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami and Philadelphia.

Business, International news, Local news, News, Travel

Nevis to Welcome Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises’ Guests Starting November

http://timescaribbeanonline.com/nevis-welcome-crystal-yacht-expedition-cruises-guests-starting-november/ #

Published: 5 April 2017

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis, April 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — The Nevis Tourism Authority is pleased to announce with Cruise Global that starting November, 2017, Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises’, luxury yacht, Crystal Esprit will call in Nevis. Guests aboard the luxury yacht will visit the charming island on their 14-day sailings for the next two years.

The agreement was solidified jointly between John Stoll, Vice President, Land Programs,

HON. MARK BRANTLEY

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Crystal, Claudius Docekal, Vice President of Deployment, Crystal and the Honorable Mark Brantley, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Aviation, Deputy Premier and Minister of Tourism, during Crystal’s recent visit to Nevis.

“Nevis looks forward to this new partnership with Crystal and commits to working hard to make this relationship a long term and mutually beneficial one,” Minister Brantley says. “Our aim is to provide the best possible yacht experience for travelers and as a luxury cruise line, Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises is an ideal complement to the luxury experiences that Nevis offers. We are happy to welcome them.”

“The island of Nevis is such a tranquil and stunning location, and the perfect locale for our luxury yacht, Crystal Esprit,” says Claudius Docekal. “We are looking forward to introducing our Crystal guests to this remarkable and unique destination.”

“The options for our guest on the island of Nevis are endless,” John Stoll says, “I am really looking forward to working with the Nevis Tourism Authority on curating experiences for our guests that highlight this remarkable island paradise.”

About Nevis:
Nevis is part of the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis and is located in the Leeward Islands of the West Indies. For more information about Nevis, travel packages and accommodations, please contact the Nevis Tourism Authority, USA Tel 1.407.287.5204, Canada 1.403.770.6697 or our website www.nevisisland.com and on Facebook – Nevis Naturally.

About Crystal:
As it expands its reach to all luxury travelers across the globe, Crystal evolves to The World’s Most Luxurious Hospitality and Lifestyle Brand Portfolio™. Crystal Cruises is the World’s Most Awarded Luxury Cruise Line™, having earned “World’s Best Cruise Ship” in Condé Nast Traveler’s Reader Choice Awards for 23 years; been voted “World’s Best Large Ship Cruise Line” by Travel + Leisure readers for 20 years; and the “Best Luxury Cruise Line” by travel professional organization Virtuoso for three consecutive years (2014, 2015 & 2016).

News, Regional News, Travel

LIAT in fresh dispute with workers

Published: 4 April 2017

A meeting will be held here Tuesday to discuss how to get out of the latest problem facing the struggling regional carrier, LIAT, which is embroiled in a salary dispute with staff.

The airline’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Julie Reifer-Jones said the shareholder governments had agreed to intervene in the carrier’s latest disagreement with workers and will meet Tuesday to determine how to avert industrial action.

The unions representing the workers have rejected the company’s plan to pay salaries late because of its financial woes. The unions have also threatened to take action if the airline proceeded with the deferrals.

In a press release issued on Sunday, the pilots’ union, the Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA) went a step further, saying it “will not stand by and watch the airline’s financial health continue to deteriorate at massive levels, to the point where LIAT can’t even pay salaries on time”.

It also called on the shareholder governments to sack the management.

“LIAT management refuses to accept responsibility for the sad state of the airline’s affairs, and instead is focusing on making the crew the scapegoats. The travelling public deserves to know the truth: The current management at LIAT is not capable of running the airline at this critical time. Their track record speaks for itself,” LIALPA said in the release.

The union also strongly denied claims that delays in service experience over the weekend were due to industrial action by the pilots.

“This has nothing to do with LIALPA and we are not involved at all. As a matter of fact, we continue to pledge to the Caribbean people that we are currently going above and beyond the call of duty to get the airline running at optimal levels, even to the extent of not having meal breaks and working 11 hour shifts. We have already worked almost an extra week without pay. However, this is not sustainable,” the release stated.

Business, Economics, Local news, News, Regional News, Travel

Customs Department to take over alleged money laundering incident

Published: 4 April 2017

The Custom and Excise Division will be taking over the investigation into an alleged case of money laundering involving a male and a female who were intercepted at the VC Bird International Airport last Friday evening.

Lev Josiah of Paynters and Erica Thomas of Mount Joy were arrested by police and taken into custody.

They were intercepted by Airport Security, with over US $20,000 and almost EC $3,000 in their possession. The monies were seized and the matter handed over to the Customs department and the police.

Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Inspector Frankie Thomas told OBSERVER media yesterday that Erica Thomas was released pending further investigations, while Josiah remains in custody and will have to answer to the comptroller of Customs today.

Airport Security was conducting one of their routine security checks when they found Josiah with over US $18,000 and EC $785.

Thomas, on the other hand, was caught with the lesser amount, of over US $2,000 and EC $1750.

The two were booked to travel to St Maarten