American Airlines is cancelling its flights to Haiti next Monday and Tuesday as the country is having national elections. Typically there is a great deal of violence and unrest during this period in Haiti, and American is showing good judgment avoiding the island during this period. This will allow its employees to stay home and out of harms way.

”We took a look at the history of unrest coinciding [with elections] and there is definitely a history there,” said American spokesman Tim Wagner. The cancellations are meant to ensure the safety of employees, flight crews and passengers, particularly as they travel to and from the airport, he said.American has three flights daily from Miami International Airport to Port-au-Prince, one flight daily from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and one from New York’s JFK.The flight cancellations are posted on American’s website, aa.com, which says passengers with tickets to or from Port-au-Prince, issued no later than Jan. 31, can change their reservation to travel as late as February 10. One ticketed change is allowed, and no fee or penalty will apply. via MiamiHerald.com

With all that has been happening with the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, the unknown death of the Captain of the Monarch of the Sea is disturbing.

The 38-year-old captain of the Monarch of the Seas cruise ship died this week as the vessel steamed north from Mexico, just hours before it docked in San Pedro. Authorities said Capt. Joern Rene Klausen was found in his stateroom at approximately 4:15 a.m. Monday, according to a statement issued by Royal Caribbean International, which operates the 2,700-passenger cruise ship

The death appears to be from natural causes and authorities in Los Angeles will conduct an autopsy,” the statement said. A supervisor from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office said late Tuesday that an examination had not yet been conducted and the office had no statement at that time. via the Daily Breeze.

Celebrity Cruise Lines swept Conde Nast Traveler’s annual readers’ survey ranking “The Best Cruise Ships in the World.” The line did well as a whole and also for the individual ships.

In the Large Ship Category, Celebrity took the top 4 ships and 6 out of the top 10.

• 1. Constellation
• 2. Millennium
• 3. Summit 
• 4. Infinity
• 7. Galaxy
• 9. Mercury

This is an amazing record for  a cruise line. Congratulations Celebrity Cruise Lines!

A landmark in the Bahamas has been destroyed, The Ernest Hemingway museum was destroyed by fire and the historic bar The Compleat Angler in the same fire. These structures were on the island of Bimini, and were frequented by Hemingway in the 1930’s during his many fishing trips to the island.

The early morning blaze leveled the wood structure in Alice Town and destroyed photographs and Hemingway memorabilia, police said.
The destruction of the tiny island’s biggest tourist attraction is the second major blow to hit Bimini in a month. On December 19, 11 residents were among 20 people killed when a Chalk’s Ocean Airways seaplane plunged into the sea in Miami’s shipping channel.
Hemingway drank at The Compleat Angler between fishing trips in his vessel Pilar in search of marlin, wahoo and sailfish in the pristine waters around Bimini. via CNN.com

And a brief description of the bar and museum:

Pictures and stories of “Papa” Ernest Hemingway adorn the Hemingway Museum. They tell stories of how he made Bimini one of his favorite getaways. He frequented the Complete Angler, a local bar where the Museum is located. Visit one of his homes and see where he wrote a good portion of his books, To Have and Have Not, and Islands in the Stream. At the museum we learned that one of the main reasons Hemingway loved this island is because Bimini has long been know as the big-game-fishing capital of the Bahamas. Deep-sea anglers find bliss here, for in its waters roam great warriors such as marlin, swordfish, giant tuna, wahoo, sailfish, and bonefish. via Tropical Adventure dot com

An interesting report from Cancun featured at the Sun Sentinel which reaffirms what I am hearing from other places. Cancun Hotels are doing everything they can to reopen their properties after Wilma for the peak travel season, but the properties are not quite ready. The benefit for the brave traveler is that you can stay at a top rate property for a very reasonable rate. As long as you are willing to overlook issues that normally would not be there.

My Cancun hotel, the five-star Gran Costa Real, was listed as “open” by the Cancun tourism people, and it was. But the elevator wasn’t working (my room was on the fifth floor), the restaurants weren’t fully operational and the hammering was still going strong at 4 a.m.

The pool at Casa Mexicana, my Cozumel hotel listed as “open,” was empty. The escalator leading from the street to the lobby wasn’t working; the noise from ongoing midday repairs was ear-shattering. Only a marvelous staff, and an $80 price on a very nice room, saved it.

It will be months before everything in Wilma-tized Cancun and Cozumel (and the few hard-hit bits of the Riviera Maya) approaches normalcy. Airlines resumed flights quickly (service to Cozumel began three days after the storm, with planes landing visually while the control tower was out of commission), but schedules to both Cancun and Cozumel are reduced now and are likely to remain less than they were through the winter season.

If You Go: Cancun: South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruise lines will start allowing passengers to check through their luggage to their flights. Disembarking a Cruise ship is probably the worst part of the cruise, and this program will make the process much smoother for everyone by taking the pressure off of the baggage handlers.

The program, which began with ships based in Vancouver, B.C., in 2003 and costs $10-$20 per passenger, is rolling out this winter at five more ports — San Juan, Seattle, San Diego, Miami and Fort Lauderdale (the last three for Celebrity only). “Anything that makes disembarkation easier will be popular,” says Mike Driscoll, editor of Cruiseweek.USATODAY.com.

The hotel industry is starting to understand the concept of set jetting, which is travel based around visiting movie sets while they are filming. Pirates of the Caribbean II is filming and Wyndham has gotten the jump on the market.

To celebrate the filming of Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean II” and “Pirates of the Caribbean III” on Grand Bahama Island, the all-inclusive Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach offers special rates starting at $115 per person, per night, double, through 2006. The price includes a welcome cocktail; a pirate kit and an island map for kids 12 and under; pirate-themed activities; all meals and drinks; and taxes and tips. The rate for kids from 3 to 17 is $30 per day for room, board and activities. To book, call (800) WYNDHAM.

via Travel Weekly

Forbes has a feature on one of the most beautiful ships I have ever seen, The Royal Clipper. If you are looking to cruise outside of the normal cruise ship, this is a vessel that has to be seen to be believed. Imagine cruising around the Caribbean on this ship, reminiscing over the early days of exploration and discovery. Amazing.

Seeing the Royal Clipper for the first time is a “wow” moment. With its five masts and 42 sails, this is no ordinary cruise ship.

Instead, it’s a sailing vessel, reminiscent of those seen in Pirates of the Caribbean, but without the zombies. No matter where this ship is docked, people stare, take photos and circle it in their boats.

…

The ship is not about the amenities on board; it’s about the sailing and the destinations. On this trip, the ship visited St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua, St. Kitts, Iles Des Saintes and Martinique. During the winter, it alternates week-long trips between the Windward and Grenadine Islands. Both depart from Bridgetown, Barbados, and visit the smaller ports that many cruise ships can’t reach due to their size. During the summer, the Royal Clipper cruises the Mediterranean, and, between seasons, 16- and 21-day transatlantic crossings are available.

At capacity, the Royal Clipper can accommodate 227 passengers, but, depending on the time of year, she may be only half full. This means you’ll get to know practically everyone on board–both the good and the bad. The guest composition is about half European–primarily British and Germans–and half American. With free water sports, both tweens and teens will enjoy the voyage, but there are no programs for very young children. Via  Forbes.com.

The Baths are usually the first thing people think of when they hear “Virgin Gorda”.

The Baths represent the stellar natural attraction of the British Virgin Islands, with exotic pools and grottos formed by giant boulders strewn across sand beaches.

Explorers will revel in the hidden rooms with shafts of light, snorkelers in the coral ledges and caves, sunbathers/ swimmers in the white sand beaches adding to the sparkling clarity of the water

Virgin Gorda is also a favorite of the boating crowd. The Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour is busy year round as sailors stop in to resupply and partake of the local restaurants and beach bars. Virgin Gorda has always been outside the typical travellers plans, so it is welcoming to those who prefer to travel unconventionally.

Travel And Leisure reviews the affordable and unique Guavaberry Spring Bay Villas:

“The tree-house villas at Guavaberry Spring Bay are on a curved bijou of a beach. A couple of picnic tables are available for lunching on items bought in the honor-system commissary (Guavaberry has no restaurant or room service). Rooms are spacious and adequate, though style-seekers would be advised to look elsewhere.

Other more expensive and more famous hotels include the Bitter End Yacht Club, Biras Creek, and Little Dix Bay.

Favorite Restaurants on Virgin Gorda include:

• Beach Grill Restaurant,  The Carvery, Chez Bamboo, Clubhouse Grill,  Fat Virgin Cafe, Fischer’s Cove Beach Hotel, The Flying Iguana Restaurant & Bar, Giorgio’s Table, Mine Shaft Cafe & Pub, Mad Dog’s, The Pub, The Rock Cafe, Top Of The Baths Restaurant, Olde Yard Inn,

Map of Virgin Gorda.