No matter how much dough you’ve got, everyone hates feeling like they’ve been nickel-and-dimed — the very rich, most of all. Maddeningly, most resorts haven’t noticed. A luxury stay should feel smooth as butter. Signing a chit every time you sneeze isn’t that. It makes you pause and reconsider that second bottle of Chablis by … Read more
Talk about a change in tide. MSC Cruises is scrapping its Arabian Gulf winter season, pulling the plug on sailings aboard its mega-ship MSC World Europa — and sending it thousands of miles in the opposite direction. The vessel, which can carry nearly 7,000 passengers, was originally set to cruise out of Dubai, Abu Dhabi … Read more
St. Maarten’s government is warning travelers about a scam that charges tourists to process an immigration form that should be free. The fake third-party website is charging a fee to help visitors complete the island’s embarkation/disembarkation form, a form that’s required for entry. However, there are no fees associated with the real form, the St. … Read more
Thousands of cruise lovers hoping to set sail next summer just had their plans sunk. Royal Caribbean has abruptly canceled more than 20 sailings aboard Freedom of the Seas, per multiple sources online, wiping out its entire Summer 2027 schedule out of Miami — and leaving travelers scrambling to salvage long-planned vacations. The scrapped trips, … Read more
From car trunk speakers thumping merengue, to marketeers hawking fresh mofongo, Dominicans have many talents — spoiler alert: quietude ain’t one of them. That is, however, until you ask about their secret beaches — then a silence washes across their vocal cords like so much seaweed upon their shores. Of course, quisqueyanos quickly find their words … Read more
You’re over the snow, the slush and this whole blizzard thing — it’s time to get out of here. Right now, the No. 1 destination for NYC-based escape artists is the Dominican Republic, said Sully Montero of New Jersey-based Teach Travel Discover. But along with the perennially popular DR, she’s seeing a boom in interest … Read more
Spanish singer Julio Iglesias has denied having abused two former domestic employees who have filed a criminal complaint against him, describing the accusations as false in a social media post late on Thursday. The prosecutor’s office of Spain’s High Court has said it has opened preliminary proceedings over the complaint, which a rights group said involved human … Read more
Royal Caribbean is under fire for its handling of passenger Michael Virgil, who died onboard after being served 33 drinks at one of the Navigator Of The Seas bars in December 2024, per a wrongful death lawsuit filed by his family. Now, the family’s lawyer is accusing cruiseliner employees of stuffing the 35-year-old California father’s … Read more
The all-inclusive pendulum is starting to swing. For years, rum-soaked, buffet-laden resorts were rightfully associated with high volume and low quality. Fortunately, several hospitality brands are refining the model and upping their game without jacking up the price. So, how do you spot an all-inclusive that doesn’t suck? Frequent traveler, father of two and financial … Read more
For many families, Christmas in the Caribbean is a tradition. It’s just too bad that the holiday season follows the hurricane season. On Oct. 28, Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, smashed Jamaica, shuttering many resorts through the new year. While most of the holiday havens affected are rushing to reopen in time for the … Read more
If safety is at the top of your vacation checklist, one tiny Caribbean island just earned top honors for peace, calm beaches and a world-class food scene. Anguilla, a British overseas territory just north of St. Maarten and east of the Virgin Islands, was named the safest destination in the Caribbean, according to a 2025 ranking from … Read more
A Royal Caribbean cruise vacationer who has championed the sea for most of his retirement isn’t letting his current journey, spoiled by a nasty bout of norovirus running rampant on the ship, deter him from planning a 26th trip. Bob Pettit, 87, is one of nearly 100 passengers aboard the Royal Caribbean International ship Serenade … Read more
It’s not a pirate’s life for Keira Knightley. The English actress revealed if she has any plans to revisit her role as Elizabeth Swann in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise. After Orlando Bloom said he hopes to get everyone back for a new “Pirates” film, Knightley admitted she wasn’t even sure where her character … Read more
If it isn’t literally the world’s chicest spot to downward dog, one suspects the Yoga Shala at Nômade Tulum is damn close. Crafted in rough-hewn timber and surrounded by lush Yucatan jungle, the open-air space features a vaulted ceiling that draws the eyes upward as you breathe in incense, bask in slivers of sunlight and … Read more
America’s elite are increasingly drawn to “golden” visa programs with new opportunities emerging in sunny and desirable locations. The latest countries to be included in the trend are some Caribbean Islands — namely, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia. The islands offer citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programs, also dubbed “golden passports.” The visa … Read more
Florida’s about to get a free shipment of dust — straight from the desert. A mammoth cloud of Saharan dust, roughly the size of the continental U.S., is barreling across the Atlantic and expected to smother parts of the Sunshine State in a rusty haze this week. The gritty gift from North Africa has already … Read more
Cruisers headed to the Caribbean are steering clear. Royal Caribbean is updating its itinerary to drop an award-winning port from upcoming sailings due to safety concerns regarding escalating gang violence and political instability. Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas in the vicinity of Labadee, Haiti. © 2011 Michel Verdure Labadee, a private Royal Caribbean destination … Read more
The U.S. State Department has upped its travel advisory for Trinidad and Tobago, a Caribbean island off the northeast coast of Venezuela, due to a state of emergency. The State Department issued a Level 3 travel advisory to the island, meaning Americans should reconsider travel, amid “heightened risks of terrorism and kidnapping.” “On December 30, … Read more
Planning a sunny getaway? You might want to pack a mosquito net. Health experts are warning about an emerging threat making waves in popular vacation destinations, as cases of the Oropouche virus have been reported in US and Canadian travelers returning from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba and Peru. While much about the tropical disease remains … Read more
Ooh la la Lauren. Bride-to-be Lauren Sanchez flaunted her assets in a priceless pink cut-out mini dress during a St. Barts shopping spree on Thursday with galpal October Gonzalez — leaving billionaire fiancé Jeff Bezos back at his $500 million superyacht. Sanchez took a break from fiance Jeff Bezos’ $500 million superyacht to check out the … Read more