Recovery Moves Forward As Caribbean Islands Look to Welcome Travelers

Some are badly damaged, some were almost completely spared. Either way, 2018 promises to bring new life to the islands of the Caribbean. But are they ready for your customers right now? Here’s a roundup of where they stand, with some comments from travel agents who have recently visited or sent clients there.

Anguilla
Anguilla was badly hurt but is getting back to business, with the luxury Quintessence Boutique Hotel in Long Bay just opening; many five-star properties are planning to open this quarter; and two luxury properties, the Zemi Beach House and the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla, are reopening in February and March, respectively.

Already open are the CeBlue Resort in Crocus Hill; Carimar Beach Club, Frangipani Beach Resort and Meads Bay Villas on Meads Bay; Shoal Bay Villas, Serenity Cottages and Fountain Residences on Shoal Bay; and Paradise Cove Beach Resort in The Cove. In addition, a completely renovated Cap Juluca, newly acquired by the Belmond Group, will reopen this year.

Antigua
While its sister island Barbuda was decimated, Antigua reopened after just four days. “Antigua was good as new, as they were lucky and did not take a huge hit,” reports Justin Wolfson, an independent travel consultant at Chubit Travel, who was there on a cruise in December.

“I was there in December and it seems to have recovered very well; it all looked fantastic,” agreed Jack Bloch, president of JB’s World Travel Consultants in New York. “I think the islands to go to are Antigua and St. Lucia; they are in great shape and they have great properties.”

Bahamas
The Bahamas sustained only minimal damage.

British Virgin Islands
Badly hurt by Hurricane Irma, the BVI says it is ready for tourists, and electricity and food supplies are returning to normal in the major tourist areas. But many of the hotels and marinas remain in need of rebuilding.

Cuba
Parts of Cuba still lack clean water and electricity, especially in the northern region where Irma hit hardest. More than 111,000 homes have yet to be rebuilt, though 90 percent of those in Havana have been repaired and most hotels there have reopened. Long stretches of the famous Malecón boulevard are still closed but tourists have returned to the capital, the Miami Herald reported this week. Where the U.S. State Department had previously advised Americans not to travel to Cuba, the new travel alert system recommends that travelers “reconsider” visiting.

In short, said Bloch, with the Kempinski under military control and so no longer open to American travelers, “Cuba is off the map.”

Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic suffered little damage and welcomes tourists.

Jamaica
Jamaica also avoided major damage.

Puerto Rico
Many of Puerto Rico’s hotels and restaurants have reopened, but the lack of electricity and state services remain a big issue. Many areas are still dark, though this week officials said 90 percent of the electricity will be restored by the end of March.

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company says more than 100 hotels are now fully operational, though, and Dave Meihoefer, who works for Celebrity Cruises and passed through San Juan in November, found the airport to be fully operational. “If I didn’t know any better, I never would have known anything happened,” he said. “YES…long, long road ahead but we as travel professionals need to continue encouraging people to go there and support the islands.”

Another cruiser, travel agent Linda Baggs Donaldson of Longview, Texas, said “Old San Juan is up and running but the beauty that is restored is on a clearly marked route. If you veer off the ‘cruiser’ route you will come upon crumbled buildings and the reality of the struggle to rebuild. It was a very enjoyable stop but clients need to know to stay in the rebuilt areas.”

“Puerto Rico is very bad,” said Jack Bloch. “For luxury clients, the beauty of the island was that it offered multiple flights every day, but it’s going to take a while until that is restored.”

St. Barts
St. Barts got back to business quickly post-hurricane, with all commercial ports and airports open, and cruise ships back, by the end of October. And indeed, the storm may have been a blessing in disguise for the high-end island, Bloch said. “The silver lining is that Cheval Blanc bought the Isle de France and Taïwana next door and the combination will be Cheval Blanc; now they can take the insurance money and combine the two hotels and the best beach on the island.”

St. Kitts
David Wolfson, co-owner of Go Astro Travel in Allentown, Pennsylvania, who was there on the Azamara Quest, said St. Barts, St. Kitts and Nevis all were in relatively good shape.

But Jack Bloch, who was planning to stay on the island, was less sure. “We were going to check out the new Park Hyatt on St. Kitts but they seemed to be having opening issues,” he said. “Another property there, Belle Mont Farm, also seemed to have operating issues. And there’s nonstop service but only on Saturdays, which I found very strange.” In the end, he skipped the island.

St. Martin
Princess Juliana International Airport, an important hub for the entire Caribbean region, is open, but many flights and hotel reservations and cruise stops were canceled through the end of 2017, and all the private villas remain closed. (“St. Martin is a disaster,” said Bloch.)

Still, 2018 is bringing a slow recovery. The Atrium Beach Resort and Spa, Commodore Suites Boutique Hotel at Simpson Bay, Princess Heights Deluxe Condo Hotel, Holland House Beach Hotel, Baker’s Suites, Travel Inn Hotel at Simpson Bay, Alicia’s Inn and Horizon View Beach Hotel in Philipsburg are open. Belmond La Semanna does not plan to open until April, and Belmond Cap Juluca is undergoing renovations and will not reopen until November. In the skies, JetBlue launched daily service from New York on Jan. 5; Delta is operating daily service out of Atlanta; and American flies daily from Miami. Service from additional cities is expected in the second quarter of 2018.

“You have to give JetBlue super credit; they are the only airline flying to St. Martin. They didn’t pack up and say, ‘we’re not going there, we don’t have much demand so we’re pulling out,’ ” said Bloch. “When the other airlines bailed, they took over the role of American. They may not be making money on the route, but they are sticking it out.”

Trinidad and Tobago
The dual-island nation was largely unaffected. 

Turks and Caicos
With the reopening of Sandals Resort International’s Beaches Turks and Caicos Village & Spa on Dec. 14, nearly all hotels and restaurants have been restored. Also adding to the luxury inventory on the island, the Shore Club Turks and Caicos debuted three new oceanfront luxury villas on Jan. 1. 

U.S. Virgin Islands
Pummeled by both Irma and Maria, the hospitality infrastructure here suffered severe damage. But officials say that after weeks largely in the dark, power has been restored to 92 percent of customers.

Still, more than 70 percent of hotels rooms are closed. Many properties will not reopen until late this year; the Westin St. John Resort & Villas is closed until further notice. The Bolongo Bay resort will reopen in June; Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort and the Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas will remain closed until 2019.