New Pirates of the Caribbean Attraction Ornament Sails Into Walt Disney World – WDW News Today

A new split-building Sketchbook ornament inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean has sailed into Walt Disney World. These ornaments show an iconic faade from the Disney Parks on the front, and a scene from inside the building on the back. We found this one at Celebrity 5&10 in Disneys Hollywood Studios.

The ornament resembles the Pirates of the Caribbean building at Magic Kingdom, complete with the mast and sail sign.

Columns and archways are along the front, with red shingles on the awning above.

The black sail on the mast has the Pirates of the Caribbean logo in red. The buildings clocktower is behind the mast.

The ornament ribbon is detachable.

On the back, several scenes from the attraction are represented in a mural.

The scenes are in order from a skeleton at a ships wheel to a pirate boarding a rowboat with an armful of treasure.

In the center are a pirate captain on a ship and another pirate sitting on a bridge.

Waves crash between two of the scenes.

The scenes only show classic elements from the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and no characters from the films.

Check out more Sketchbook ornaments in this style from Walt Disney World.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today onTwitter,Facebook, andInstagram.

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New Pirates of the Caribbean Attraction Ornament Sails Into Walt Disney World - WDW News Today

Details on the Launch of the First Caribbean Events Website – TravelPulse

Caribbean destinations and tourism stakeholders are joyfully welcoming the return of a multitude of buoyant cultural festivals, each focused on the distinctive music, cuisine, dance and arts attached to the panoply of regional nations.

Largely freed from bans on large outdoor gatherings driven by two years of pandemic-imposed restrictions, several countries are preparing for the resumption of events, from the Anguilla Culinary Experience to Barbados Crop Over, the British Virgin Islands Food Fete, Grenadas Chocolate Festival, Nevis Mango and Food Festival, the Saint Kitts Music Festival, regattas in Carriacou and Saint Barth, Saint Lucias long-running Jazz and Arts Festival, plus New Years and Carnival celebrations in the Bahamas and Saint Lucia.

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Their return follows the launch of the first comprehensive, centralized resource for information on the regions numerous events. Veteran Caribbean tourism and travel marketer Nerdin St. Rose first launched Caribbean Events in 2018 and has fully resumed the site as nations and suppliers resume tourism activity in the outbreaks wake. We spoke recently with Nerdin to learn how she created a timely resource for diverse events across the region.

NS: I'm so passionate about Caribbean events because my background comes from events. I worked with great event productions; I was involved with the Jazz Festival in the 1990s so you know I love events. I've created a platform where people can [access] all of the events taking place in the Caribbean. We sort of want them to stop thinking only about sun sand and sea but also about the other things they can enjoy and experience.

NS: Yes, you know for me like for all of us it was hard to deal with. But it gave me time to reflect as well. I kind of got my life back because when COVID happened I was in hospital undergoing major surgery.

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NS: I used that time to think about it what I wanted to do. Events had shut down, but by August of 2020 I was thinking OK, well maybe we could start planning for events in 2021. It was a lot of let's wait and see.

[The site] features all of the key Caribbean events with information, dates, descriptions and photos. We [publicize] the events through our own social channels as well, promoting the site as a place people can find easily as soon as they do a search for Caribbean events. I've been reaching out to the different destinations to ensure they keep us in the loop when they're getting ready to announce events.

I'm also reaching out to some regional airlines to promote Caribbean Events [including] links on their websites. We're looking at [event] ticketing and adding accommodation options highlighting hotels in and around events. The site is going to get better later in the year as we add more events.

NS: We're adding events now and I'm reaching out to all of the islands as they release the information, which we added to the website. I continue to do work were ramping up through 2022. Suppliers don't have to pay for their events to be listed on our site; were sort of an aggregator. We were picking up just prior to the pandemic and actually started getting a lot more momentum and interest. We were promoting and have over 200 events on the site.

NS: Hey [those things] happened. During the pandemic, events were not happening, but we tried to keep people thinking about events although there wasnt a whole lot of content. Its just so good to see events coming back. It makes you feel even more positive and more encouraged and I'm excited about that.

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Details on the Launch of the First Caribbean Events Website - TravelPulse

What Makes The Caribbean The FIFTH C When It Comes To Diamonds Buying? – South Florida Caribbean News

Diamonds are often given to signify a special occasion. Several are given as engagement rings or wedding bands and some are given as heirlooms. Also, some people buy diamonds because its simply their birthstone.

Diamonds are a timeless commodity. They represented a persons status and class. Diamonds remain well sought after despite the many generations and centuries that have passed.

However, diamonds dont have much of a clean history. Slavery, the black market, and who knows what blood was shed to acquire the gemstone. Its questionable origins became a point of concern over the years. Hence, a diamonds traceability became one feature that consumers sought after.

Aside from traceability, diamonds are also chosen based on the 4Cs. These are cut, clarity, carat, and color. However, there is a 5th C, the Caribbean, that well discuss as well.

A diamonds cut refers to what makes its facets and shape. These are factors that make it sparkle. If the cut has more facets, then it will give off more sparkle.

Diamonds have different kinds of cuts. The most famous one, according to the Cape Town Diamond Museum, is the round brilliant. It has 57 facets. However, we have other popular cuts like the rectangular emerald that has 44 facets. The square princess cut is also popular among wedding rings since it has 50 or 58 facets.

The oval cut has 56 facets while the slender marquise has 58 facets. Lastly, the hybrid pear with its 58 facets is another popular cut. If youre struggling to choose from a variety of diamond cuts, you can consult your jeweler.

Clarity is how they measure the diamonds purity and inspect the flaws. The clearer the diamond, the fewer flaws it has. However, that kind of diamond is extremely rare and valuable.

The flaws within the diamond are called inclusions while the external flaws are blemishes. However, visible flaws are only usually seen in earth-mined diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds, on the other hand, have only minimal inclusions if none at all.This is because lab-grown diamonds are cultivated in a laboratory under controlled conditions. Lab-grown diamonds simulate the process by which diamonds are made in nature. But that doesnt mean theyre fake, still, theyre 100% authentic. Theyre real diamonds and they dont carry any questionable origins to boot.

Nowadays, its very common and popular for people to choose lab-grown diamond engagement rings. The traceability issue that was mentioned earlier is resolved with lab-grown diamonds. This is because the diamonds origin is known to have come from the laboratories.

Wherever the origin of these diamonds is, they are graded the same way. There are different grades by which jewelers and gemologists scale a diamond. They are:

The I-grade includes I1, I2, and I3. These degrees of inclusions have very visible flaws, even on brilliant cuts. Theyre commonly used for diamond studs because the earrings are too small for anyone to see the inclusions.

SI1 and SI2 have inclusions easily seen under a jewelers loupe. However, the inclusions arent too visible to the naked eye. This is also a good grade for those getting wedding day diamonds like tennis bracelets.

VS1 and VS2 diamond clarity inclusions are barely visible under the jewelers loupe. Even with the device, it can still take some time to find the inclusion. This grade of inclusion is whats commonly used for diamond engagement rings and wedding bands.

VVS1 and VVS2 have inclusions barely visible under the jewelers loupe. Even if they are visible, theyre difficult to find. This grade of clarity is also another choice for diamond engagement rings and wedding bands.

Rings are always visible to other people and its easier for them to see the gemstone. Therefore, a VS or VVS diamond rating is recommended.

These are diamonds with no internal or external imperfections. They are extremely rare and costly.

Carat is the degree of measurement used to identify a diamonds mass or weight. A metric carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. It can be subdivided into 100 points. They are more than one carat in decimals (e.g. a 1.25-carat diamond).

The bigger the diamond, the higher the price increase per carat. This is because big diamonds are very rare and more desirable. However, you need to keep in mind that diamonds with similar carats dont always mean theyll have the same price.

Cut, clarity, and color are all important factors that determine a diamonds price.

Though diamonds are commonly known as colorless, they do come in many other colors as well. The distinctions, however, are subtle. It takes much experience and training to properly color-grade a diamond.

The variations of color impact the diamonds quality and price. Its hue and intensity, for example, may diminish or raise the diamonds value.

Some claim that the fifth C is Conflict Free. This means that the diamond didnt come from a bloody or conflicted area. Because the sales were used to fund wars historically, traceability is important when buying diamonds.

However, the fifth C well talk about is the Caribbean. But why is it considered the fifth C?

The Caribbeans sparkling waters make it one of the top tourist destinations in the world. But theyre also an amazing place where you can shop for diamonds. Their diamonds are known to be as stunning as their famous azure sea.

The diamonds prices are all very alluring as well. The sellers are friendly and offer excellent service. The Caribbean has about five top shopping locations for diamonds. They all boast an exquisite collection of gemstones and diamond jewelry for you to choose from.

If youre ever visiting the Caribbean, get ready to splurge on some diamond stud earrings or a diamond necklace!

Diamonds are timeless and precious stones that have dictated the class and prestige of their wearer for years. Its most commonly worn by those in the upper echelon of society. Nowadays, diamonds are often used for engagement rings and wedding bands.

Theyre also used for earrings and necklaces. However, theyre notorious for having a dark past that involves black markets, slavery, and war. Because of this, traceability is demanded by contemporary consumers.

A diamonds price depends on the four Cs. Those are clarity, color, carat, and cut. Each one determines the price and quality of the diamond. Its not a requirement to choose the most flawless one, though that would depend on the occasion.

The fifth C is the Caribbean because of its beauty which translates to the diamonds in their market. The Caribbean is a great place to buy diamonds at good prices. We encourage visiting the different shops on their islands!

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What Makes The Caribbean The FIFTH C When It Comes To Diamonds Buying? - South Florida Caribbean News

Fans Think Johnny Depp Quoted ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Scene to Lawyer – Newsweek

The trial of Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard is adjourned this week but the court proceedings are still dominating discourse on social media and fans think that the actor quoted a line from Pirates of the Caribbean during his ex-wife's testimony last week.

Depp is suing Heard for $50 million for defamation over a 2018 op-ed alleging domestic abuse in a trial that has whipped up a social media frenzy over the past weeks.

Heard, who is countersuing for $100 million for nuisance, took the stand last week and has been delivering her testimony detailing allegations of horrific abuse against her ex-husband.

Depp's drug and alcohol misuse has been widely discussed throughout the trial and while delivering testimony on the stand last week, Heard recounted the first time her ex-husband allegedly hit her.

"It's seemingly so stupid, so insignificant. I will never forget it. It changed my life," she said and went on to say that she and Depp were "sitting on the couch... talking ... having a normal conversation.

"There was no fighting, no argument, nothing," she said. "He was drinking and I didn't realize at the time but I think he was using cocaine because there was a jara jar of cocaine on the table."

The "jar of cocaine" statement prompted smirks and laughter from Depp who whispered something to his legal team and viral footage shows that he jokingly quoted a line from Pirates of the Caribbean about a "jar of dirt."

Fans of Depp and his beloved character Captain Jack Sparrow will recognize the line from the film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

The character of Jack Sparrow famously carries around a jar of dirt on the ship in the second movie of the franchise and proclaimed the line: "I have a jar of dirt!"

A clip of this moment in court, edited alongside the movie clip, has gone viral on TikTok with 1.2 million views at the time of writing.

The TikTok has also been shared to Twitter where it's racking up thousands of views.

Both Heard and Depp's representatives issued statements after the actress finished her testimony for the week.

"While Ms. Heard's stories have continued to grow new and convenient details, Mr. Depp's recollections have remained exactly the same throughout the six painful years since her first allegations were made," Depp's spokesperson said in a statement to People. "His truththe truthis the same no matter the environment in which it has been presented."

Meanwhile, Heard's team told Newsweek: "One of Ms. Heard's disappointments is Mr. Depp's inability to distinguish fact from fictiona malady which appears to have spread to his legal team.

"That same team is so panicked they are fighting tooth and nail to prevent compelling evidence and photos from being introduced. Small wonder Mr. Depp does not have the fortitude or courage to even look at Ms. Heard at all throughout the proceedingsas he could not in the U.K. trialand, instead he doodles and snickers."

The Depp vs. Heard trial will resume at 9 a.m. ET on May 16.

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Fans Think Johnny Depp Quoted 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Scene to Lawyer - Newsweek

Looking Back at Pirates of the Caribbean 20 Years Later – mxdwn.com

Chris Benis May 11th, 2022 - 11:56 AM

20 years ago,Pirates of the Caribbean meant nothing more than wooden lifeboats, inky black waters, and animatronic entertainment. Today, it represents five blockbuster movies, a star-studded cast, and the legend of Johnny Depps insatiable Captain Jack Sparrow.

The original Pirates ride debuted on March 18, 1967, being the last Disney attraction constructed by Walt Disney himself before his death three months later. Although it was initially designed to be an antebellum era walk-through museum featuring the periods most infamous villains, it was eventually approved as a ride system following the unprecedented success of Its A Small World in 1964. But not even Disneys founder could have envisioned the impact and success of Pirates in the half-century that ensued.

To this day, the phenomenon and cultural significance that stemmed from the first movie, Curse of the Black Pearl, is nothing short of a miracle. This film re-introduced pirates and maritime exploration to a new, impressionable generation. All at once, children were dressing up as Captain Jack for Halloween. Blasters and lightsabers were traded in for swords and eye patches. Being a pirate was cool, and everyone wanted a piece of the franchise.

Case in point, Black Pearl (2003) earned over $46 million in its first week, grossing $305 million over its theatrical lifetime. For reference, the last movie prior to Black Pearl that garnered reasonable box office success involving pirates was Muppets Treasure Island in 1996.

The success of the first installment owes much of its acclaim to the dynamic performances of its leading actors. Geoffrey Rush (Captain Barbossa) turns in a campy, brilliant effort that suspends the audiences disbelief and challenges the notion of what it means to be an engaging antagonist. Rush excels at manifesting the physical and emotional toll that the pirates curse takes upon himself and his crew, which earns the character a degree of humanity that culminates in an unforgettable, charismatic, and confident performance.

Of course, a villain can only be as evil as the protagonist is convincing, and Curse of the Black Pearl greatly benefits from a once-in-a-lifetime performance by Johnny Depp. By all accounts, Jack Sparrow was originally written as a Vaudevillian foil for Rushs Captain Barbossa and Orlando Blooms William Turner, a brash blacksmith who yearns to find his father and win the hand of governors daughter Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley). Depp then took it upon himself to surprise everyone on set with a mysterious, unpredictable, and utterly genius Keith Richards-esque drawl.

The character reportedly came to Depp during an intense sauna session. The actor sat in steamy isolation for several hours before nailing down Sparrows trademark catchphrases, mannerisms, and charming unpredictability.

In a 2018 interview with Collider, Depp revealed that Sparrow was originally written as a swashbuckler, a pirate who swings in, sort of fights a little bit and then swings out, grabs a girl, and thats it. I had different ideas for him. This sounds weird, but Captain Jack was born in a sauna. My sauna. I was looking at various aspects of the character, and I figured this guy has been on the high seas for the majority of his life and therefore has dealt with inescapable heat to the brain.

Thus, Sparrow was entirely of Depps creation and has never been portrayed as Disney intended.

It would be remiss to applaud Pirates as a cultural touchstone without commending its soundtrack for wondrously amplifying all five films. Simply put, Hans Zimmers score is heroic and dynamic. Hes taken certain creative liberties in making Jack Sparrows whimsy believable, Barbossas crew terrifying, and the East India Trading Company decidedly imperial. Its the sound of a composer with nothing left to prove creating that which is timeless yet again.

While critics have lamented Dead Mans Chest and At Worlds End as being labored, overstuffed, and lacking in imagination compared to the original, the practical effects and new characters largely hold their own against the first film. Cutler Becketts emergence allows both sequels a defiant, nostalgic flavor, and Davy Jones is terrifying and tragic as the central villain for installments two and three. The respective plots are also very original, albeit over-reliant on Sparrows more nonsensical eccentricities.

Given its timeless appeal and continued relevance, its easy to look past the franchises success and take it for granted. But there is value in remembering that films based on Disneyland rides have traditionally sunk in the box office, including Mission to Mars and Dinosaur prior to Pirates.

Curse of the Black Pearl was the first movie of its kind to cruise past the port of mainstream popularity and sail into uncharted territory with its mast of originality and pirate flag held high.

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Looking Back at Pirates of the Caribbean 20 Years Later - mxdwn.com

Royal Caribbean turns to TikTok to find the Wonder’s godmother – Travel Weekly

Royal Caribbean International will hold a contest on TikTok to select an inspiring mom to be godmother of its newest ship, the Wonder of the Seas.

U.S. users of the social media platform can take part in the #SearchForWonderMom contest by nominating a mom who "inspires those around them to discover, wonder and make memories." Users must follow @RoyalCaribbean on TikTok and post submissions on TikTok that share why their nominee would be the ideal godmother for the ship. Uploaded videos must use Royal Caribbean's #SearchforWonderMom contest audio track, which is pinned on the cruise line's profile, and entries must tag @RoyalCaribbean and include #SearchForWonderMom and #Contest.

Nominations can be made through May 16, and the winner will be announced on Royal Caribbean's TikTok this summer. The chosen godmother will name the ship in a ceremony in Port Canaveral in December.

"The role of a godmother is an important and longstanding maritime tradition, and it began with naming prominent public figures to now recognizing everyday heroes like moms," Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley said in announcing the contest.

Royal Caribbean has allowed the public to help select ship godmothers via contests several times. The Harmony of the Seas was named by a South Florida teacher nominated by the public. In 2006, a foster mother was chosen by "Today" show viewers as part of a contest to find an extraordinary, "everyday" person to be godmother to the Freedom of the Seas. The Liberty of the Seas was named by a travel advisor who was nominated by consumers and other agents, and its sister ship, the Independence of the Seas, was christened by an "ordinary British woman who has done extraordinary things," chosen via a contest with viewers of a U.K. television station.

The Wonder's godmother and her family will be given a seven-day Caribbean sailing in the ship's Ultimate Family Suite, first-class flights, a three-night, precruise stay in a five-star hotel and up to $1,000 in spending money. Four finalists will be offered seven-day cruises in a balcony cabin for up to four guests.

"With a combination of brand-new adventures and signature favorites across entertainment, thrills, dining and nightlife, Wonder of the Seas is designed to inspire wonder and awe in children and travelers of all ages," Bayley said. "Moms do just that and more, day in and day out."

The Wonder launched from Port Everglades in March and is spending the summer offering cruises from Barcelona. In, November, the Wonder returns stateside to its year-round home, Port Canaveral, where it will sail seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises.

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Royal Caribbean turns to TikTok to find the Wonder's godmother - Travel Weekly

‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ ship goes to mental health charity – Classic Boat

Cornish charity Sea Sanctuary has taken ownership of Irene, the tall ship featured in the film Pirates of the Caribbean.

The 100ft tall ship, built in 1907, arrived in Falmouth in April to help support the charitys work in blue health the concept that blue spaces, like the sea, are profoundly beneficial to peoples mental and emotional wellbeing.

Irene replaces a smaller boat, a move which reflects the increase in the demand of these critical services and the evolution of the charity who expertise and services are growing year on year from private clients, as well as corporate charters.

Charity CEO Joseph Sabien said: Our sailing days and residential therapeutic voyages are perfect for organisations looking to improve the mental health and wellbeing of their employees.

Those whoparticipate in our programs are not the only ones to benefit as any profits from the operation will subsidise the cost of people in the local community who need our support but cannot afford it. We are looking forward to a busy summer.

seasanctuary.org.uk

Editor of Classic Boat, Rob Peake has previously worked on a number of leading boating titles as both Editor and Deputy Editor, including Yachting Monthly and Motor Boat & Yachting. As a skipper, he has covered many thousands of miles at sea under both power and sail.

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'Pirates of the Caribbean' ship goes to mental health charity - Classic Boat

Seminar: Health Taxes Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean: Are we making progress? – Pan American Health Organization

Background

In Latin America and the Caribbean, progress in the use of excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) as a measure to improve health has varied. The greatest progress has been made in tobacco taxes, where both globally, and in the region, there is abundant evidence of their effectiveness in reducing consumption of these products and preventing uptake in young people. This has motivated the positioning of taxes as a method to achieve health objectives. Thus, in recent years, several countries in the region have increased tobacco tax rates or improved tobacco tax structures for health purposes. However, despite the compelling evidence in its favor, it should be noted that taxation (R) is the measure with the least progress in the tobacco control MPOWER package. While 24% of the worlds population is being protected by smoke- free environments, only 13% of the worlds population is protected by taxes on tobacco implemented at best practice levels, and unfortunately this percentage has remained constant since 2018. This is without considering the new challenge of including novel and emerging tobacco and nicotine products.

Regarding taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, as of March 31, 2019, 21 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean apply this measure. However, in several countries these tax policies are not aligned with health goals. This is evidenced by the fact that there are countries that have implemented SSB taxes on bottled water and, on the contrary, have stopped taxing products with a high level of sugar, such as flavored milk. It is essential that these types of policies use the PAHO nutritional profile as a reference, to determine the products that should or should not be included in the list of products to be taxed.

The panorama of taxes on alcoholic beverages is diverse, due to the different characteristics of these products and the preferences of consumption in the countries. According to WHO data from 2018, in the Latin American and Caribbean region, 28 countries apply taxes to beers and spirits, however, only 26 do so with wine. As in the case of sugary drinks, there is a small number of countries that have developed tax policies for alcohol from a health perspective.

In the case of tobacco, the main argument used by the tobacco industry to prevent tobacco taxes from rising has been a presumed relationship between tax increases and the level of illicit trade. For its part, the Protocol for the Elimination of Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (Protocol), recognizes that illicit trade weakens the price and tax measures designed to control tobacco, and therefore increases the affordability of these products. Therefore, central measures such as the implementation of tracking systems are essential, as they not only reduce illicit trade, but also prevent evasion, generating a market with a higher price (i.e., decrease in affordability), with a concomitant decrease in the consumption of cigarettes, and growth in tax collection.

As the PAHO economics of NCDs team, we seek to provide Health Authorities with the best theoretical and empirical evidence to support the construction of dialogue between the health sector and other government sectors (particularly fiscal and financial authorities), considering economic reasoning as an edge of analysis for the creation of the most optimal policies to prevent NCDs. In which, the excise tax tool on tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks is an essential component of a comprehensive approach to change consumption patterns of risk factors for NCDs, with the added benefit of granting additional tax revenue.

In search of providing the necessary and updated information that responds to current topics of debate in the countries of the region, as well as opening a space for discussion on health taxes, strategies to counteract industry interference, as well as tax policies on products of novel and emerging tobacco and nicotine products, and tracking and tracing systems, we hope that this event will have an impact on the decision-making of PAHO Member States.

The target audience for this event are representatives of the Member States that are designated as the focal point of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control or, in turn, are the tobacco control focal point of the Ministry of Health. In addition, the persons designated as the focal point for the design and administration of excise taxes on tobacco, SSB and alcohol, as well as the focal point of the Ministry of Health in charge of nutrition-healthy eating and alcohol issues.

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Seminar: Health Taxes Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean: Are we making progress? - Pan American Health Organization

Caribbean Business – The Wealthiest Countries In The Caribbean In Gold – Caribbean and Latin America Daily News – News Americas

By NAN Staff Writer

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Oct. 29, 2021: The Caribbean may be dismissed as small, but at least five countries in the region, including Haiti, stacks up pretty high when it comes to gold reserves.

Heres where they stack up in the Top 5 based on reserves of gold as of the latest data.

1: Aruba 3.11 billion tonnes

2: Haiti USD 1.81 billion tonnes

3: Suriname 1.46 billion tonnes

4: Trinidad & Tobago 1.94 billion tonnes

5: Dominican Republic 0.57 tonnes.

This comes as the World Bank released its Changing Wealth of Nations 2021 report. The Top 5 Caribbean countries on the World Banks total wealth list, based on measuring the economic value of renewable natural capital such as forests, cropland, and ocean resources; nonrenewable natural capital such as minerals and fossil fuels; human capital earnings over a persons lifetime; produced capital, such as buildings and infrastructure; and net foreign assets. The report also accounts for blue natural capital in the form of mangroves and ocean fisheries for the first time.

Heres The Caribbeans Top 5

Trinidad & Tobago USD 117,979 million

Suriname USD 92,740 million

The Dominican Republic USD 77,101 million

Jamaica USD 67,740 million

Guyana USD 62,740 million

The Changing Wealth of Nations provides the data and analysis to help governments get prices and policies right for sustainable development,saidWorld Bank Global Director for Environment, Natural Resources, and the Blue Economy, Karin Kemper.By ignoring polluting and climate warming impacts, fossil fuel assets have historically been overvalued, while assets that contribute to climate mitigation, like forests, are undervalued.

Although total wealth has nearly doubled inLatin America and the Caribbeanover the past two decades, there are significant contrasts in the trends of wealth per capita. Some countries have more than doubled their wealth since 1995, while in several Caribbean countries, total wealth per capita has declined. Over time, wealth in nonrenewable natural capital has begun to decline, due to price volatility, but renewable wealth is increasing. Wealth in protected areas has more than doubled, despite the fact that land area of forests has declined. Female labor force participation is higher than in any other region, but Latin America and the Caribbean has still not reached gender parity in its human capital.

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Caribbean Business - The Wealthiest Countries In The Caribbean In Gold - Caribbean and Latin America Daily News - News Americas

Intuition Is The Main Ingredient In Authentic Caribbean Cuisine – Forbes

Caribbean culinary traditions originated with intuitive or feel cooking. The most common foods associated with the region were not born of recipe books or cooking shows or popularized by the latest influencers or Instagram feeds.

The most popular Caribbean dishes have been a product of adaptation. The Taino Indians and African Maroons of Jamaica originally used Jamaican jerk seasoning as a preservative. The Barbadian national dish of cou-cou, made of corn meal and okra or ochroes (which came to the region from Africa) typically paired with flying fish, became popular during the early colonial period due to its affordability, and bears a striking resemblance to Ghanaian Banku.

Caribbean intuitive cooking was conceived on early Amerindian settlements, in the heart of West Africa, on Trans-Atlantic slave ships, in the migration of Chinese and Indian indentured labourers, through Syrian merchant migrations and accentuated by English, Spanish, Dutch and Danish colonial influences. The earliest Caribbean food pathways were rooted in struggle and in resilience and despite the advent of technology, Caribbean culinary traditions remain in the most authentic of places, in the DNA and the souls of Caribbean people.

Intuitive cooking in its purest form uses ingredients that are in season, doesnt depend on a well-stocked pantry and is both mindful and heartful. There is no room for fad diets, strict recipes or ultra-processed packaged meals. Creativity, innovation and ingenuity are all born here.

Cooking from an intuitive standpoint allows our kitchen to express itself daily based on whats available, says Chef Digby Strideron, a Contemporary West Indian Chef from St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands.

Seasonal ingredients and regional recipes inspire Strideron, bringing out his creativity and allowing him to grow with his cuisine. He has spent the past decade as a forager, chasing flavors and stories and says that focusing in on the technique and ideology behind the recipes is more important than creating the same dish over and over in the same manner.

Being intuitive in the kitchen allows me to tap into the creative process behind cooking and express who I am, says Strideron. Traditionally, intuitive cooking made sense as our ancestors had to rely on what was in season what they were able to hunt or preserve. These things changed daily but the cuisine remained and while all recipes continue to change, understanding why is the most important part.

Chef Digby Strideron

While food traditions are a form of cultural inheritance, the culinary ingenuity that has extended into modern times, has built on the Caribbeans spirit of resourcefulness and resilience, creating space for healers, high-end chefs as well as Diasporic and foreign interpretations.

Chef Sherri Hillman is not your ordinary chef in fact, she refers to herself as a cooking gypsy. She has travelled the world delighting clients and audiences with her back to the earth perspective on cooking but she says that when she arrived to Barbados in 1990 and the Cayman Islands, in 2007, her soul found its home.

During her years in the Cayman Islands, Hillman hosted regular farm to table dinners, becoming somewhat of the Tony Robbins of the anti-ultra-processed food movement, evangelizing her guests around the importance of seasonal, local eating and cooking from scratch.

When I cook for someone, I cook with my intuition in the moment, my connection to what is available and with intention to provide the healthiest, most delicious meal possible, says Hillman. Food is our connection to life and I feel people have forgotten that. We have bodies that can heal themselves if fed the right food. So few people and doctors share or push that value. It is not even something that is taught in schools.

Chef Sherri Hillman

And Jamaican Chef, Ben Tsedek knows a thing or two about healing through food.

Tsedek is a Rastafarian raw vegan chef, an organic farmer, a medical qi gong practitioner and an African bio mineral balance practitioner who commutes between the hills of Mandeville Jamaica and his farm in Boca Raton Florida.

You dont have to take a life to sustain a life, says Tsedek, who ascribes to the Yoruba perspective of as as life force that can be found in the foods we eat. If I eat a pumpkin, I dont have to kill the pumpkin plant. My food doesnt carry a karmic debt.

The former owner of popular Kingston raw vegan restaurant, Firelight, Tsedek believes in the power of the sun to cook his food and stresses that if people would listen to their bodies and cook accordingly, they would eat in harmony with their genetic predisposition and prevent or cure themselves from ailments.

Tsedek says that his intuitive process of cooking his prized soups and other dishes aids with cleansing, digestion and regeneration.His favourite ingredients are all found in the context of his natural environment and include pumpkin, green bananas, string beans, okras, amaranth, scallions, thyme and sea moss, the latter of which he says, naturally fortifies and harmonizes the elements in the pot.

Chef Ben Tsedek

And just as intuitive cooking connects with energy and life force, it also connects with ancestral and family traditions.

Stephanie Ramlogan knows this concept all too well. As a Trinidadian residing in New York, she reconnects with home by putting her own spin on familiar dishes, using Diasporic flavours and spices that are available and that speak to her.

I wasn't taught how to cook, I just inherited my mother's sweet hand, she laughs. My mother is a fantastic chef, and I never saw her follow a recipe. I remember as a child asking her how she remembered all the measurements and she said that she just made them up as she went along.

Living in the United States, Ramlogan learned to improvise on what she saw her mother doing in her kitchen in Trinidad. Using taste and smell as her barometer, she has become accustomed to substituting American ingredients in her classic Trinidadian dishes and has begun to work on a Diaspora-inspired cookbook.

I have been pulling together recipes for Trinbagonian food that I make in New York using substitutions, she explains. I playfully refer to it as Trini Cooking For People In Foreign, and as an example, for one of the recipes I imagined my mother's voice telling a 21-year-old me how to make Palau over the phone. The book is intended to be a place where people who love cooking can come to share, laugh and learn. It isn't intended to just have recipes, but stories too, about Caribbean food and how I have adjusted to living abroad when all I crave is macaroni pie and red bean stew.

Stephanie Ramlogan

Intuitive cooking techniques have permeated Caribbean life.

Take bush cooking, for example. Picture it no controls, no heat settings, no scales, no timers just fire. And whether it is a pot of corn soup over a flame, featuring a bubbling hodgepodge of coconut milk, corn, pumpkin, scotch bonnet and herbs on the side of the road, or a breadfruit buried in the burning sand as dead leaves crackle in the embers overhead this is not cooking with your head, but with your heart. And it is ready to eat, not with the buzzing of a timer, but when the chef says so.

The authentic Caribbean palate originated with and continues to be driven by seasons, senses, creativity, migration and survival. Whether the Pepperpot of Guyana, the Ackee and Saltfish of Jamaica, the Oil Down of Trinidad or the variety of whole foods and techniques that were brought to the New World hundreds and thousands of years ago, intuitive cooking is critical to cultural survival and resilience that is being threatened by the mass influx of imported and ultra-processed foods into the region.

Nourishing the body should also nourish the soul.

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Intuition Is The Main Ingredient In Authentic Caribbean Cuisine - Forbes

This Caribbean Island Reports Over 690 New COVID-19 Cases In One Day – Caribbean and Latin America Daily News – News Americas

By NAN Staff Writer

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY Mon. Nov. 1, 2021: One Caribbean country reported over 690 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, the highest in the region.

The Dominican Republic reported 693 cases Sunday, to take the tally to 381,667. They also reported 1 new death toll.

Cuba, meanwhile, reported 676 new cases to take the total to 952,001. There were 6 new deaths reported.

Meanwhile, Trinidad & Tobagos Ministry of Health announced 208 new COVID-19 cases to the total to 57,329. They also announced 14 new deaths from COVID-19, including a 4th death attribute to the Delta variant. The Ministry has also confirmed 20 new Delta cases. Of these new cases, 18 had no travel history.

Eleven had prior contact with confirmed COVID cases or symptomatic cases of flu-like illness. This brings the total number of cases of the COVID-19 Delta Variant which have been confirmed for Trinidad and Tobago to 156.

Jamaica added another 107 new cases to take the total to 89,014 while the island reported 7 new deaths. The total death toll is now 2,236.

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This Caribbean Island Reports Over 690 New COVID-19 Cases In One Day - Caribbean and Latin America Daily News - News Americas

Kick-starting the Caribbean’s seaweed farming sector – The Fish Site

Phil Cruver, former CEO of Catalina Sea Ranch, explains why hes now focusing his attentions on producing food-grade seaweed in the Caribbean, using a unique, submersible system.

It started in 2012 when I founded Catalina Sea Ranch and secured the first offshore aquaculture permit in US Federal waters from the US Army Corps of Engineers. The California Coastal Commission (CCC) has the right to determine if the permit is consistent with the Coastal Zone Act, which took another two years, but remarkably the project received unanimous approval.

I raised about $6 million of capital from accredited investors pursuant to Reg D offerings, another $2 million in debt, $1.2 million in Federal R&D contracts, and about $1 million in grants. We needed another $5 million and I couldn't raise the requisite institutional capital, as the regulatory costs by the CCC, NOAA and FDA exceeded $500,000 annually, which was unsustainable. As Catalina Sea Ranch was running out of money a shareholder agreed to invest $2.5 million but wanted control so I voluntarily turned over management control in June 2019, as it was the right thing to do.

It got ugly about six months after I departed the CEOs role, when three factions of large shareholders started fighting. About a year later one of those shareholders forced the company into involuntary bankruptcy.

I was retained as a consultant by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) to develop a marketing and distribution strategy for seaweed exports from Belize to international markets. The IADB wanted an entrepreneur to create an executable plan, rather than an academic study that typically gets filed away in a drawer. Interestingly, one of the seaweed farms in Belize was a cooperative owned and operated exclusively by women that had received positive publicity because of the recent movement for gender equality. The timing was providential for creating an export market promoting the touchstones of social, gender, and environmental justice, coupled with creating jobs for the countrys economy which had been reliant on tourism and had suffered after the pandemic.

I had previous experience with seaweed mariculture when serving as a principal investigator for the $25 million Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER) contract, funded by the Department of Energy. That research project was focused on seaweed for biofuels, but Belize's native seaweed Eucheuma is edible, which presented a new and exciting learning experience for feeding the future.

I have created an investment deck and business plan for developing a "Caribbean Seaplant Industry" for the region rather than focus only on Belize. I use "plant" in my terminology as "weed" has a pejorative connotation that will denigrate the positive branding message. It is my conviction that once the 43 million people residing on 7,000 islands in the Caribbean Region have dug themselves out of the pandemic hole, they will need a more diversified economy, thats not reliant on tourism.

KZO Sea Farms

A regional seaplant industry would also provide economies of scale to reduce costs for establishing uniform environmental regulations, marine spatial planning, biosecurity, seedstocks, nursery, etc. Furthermore, a regional processing centre would reduce costs and ensure quality control with a resilient, transparent, and secure distribution supply chain that will be mandatory for meeting emerging rigorous sustainability certifications.

I am currently networking with regional development banks and impact funds for a pilot project to de-risk public and private sector investment. Under normal circumstances this would take a year but with the pandemic and disrupted supply chains, I am estimating two years and the cost will depend upon the scope.

From a positive perspective, Catalina Sea Ranch was a thrilling experience with enormous potential to scale a put a small dent in our nation's $16 billion seafood trade deficit. There was tremendous positive press, including a feature article on the front page of the Washington Post, two stories in USA Today, Fast Company, Quartz, and other publications. I was also delighted to shoot and edit over 200 videos documenting the pioneering venture, which are still posted on the website's Facebook and YouTube channels.

On the negative side, I learned that government bureaucrats won't budge, even when provided with data-driven science showing that their regulations have no merit. I also learned to "hope for the best" and "plan for the worse" because "stuff" happens. To keep things afloat, I personally lent the company nearly $500,000 with a no interest, unsecured note and now have a large tax loss carry-forward.

In 2010, my company KZO Sea Farms developed a submersible cage for fish farming, with engineering support from the School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering at the University of New Hampshire and ISCO Industries, the largest high-density polyethylene (HDPE) fabricator and distributor in North America. We recently reconnected to adapt the fish cage technology for offshore seaplant mariculture, introducing unique features that provide protection from hurricanes, produce higher yields, improve quality control, and are capable of scaling as a comprehensive farming system.

I discovered through the IADB consultancy that the global tropical seaplant industry relies on primitive labour-intensive methods for planting, cultivation, harvesting, and processing. Indonesia is the global seaplant leader, producing over 80 percent of the worlds carrageenan. Other producers include the Philippines, South Korea, North Korea, Japan, Malaysia and India. In all these countries seaplants are cultivated using archaic, traditional methodologies including the fixed, off-bottom line method, the floating raft method and basket method. Remarkably, this massive industry has remained artisanal despite explosive growth over the past 20 years.

The global market for seaplant-derived hydrocolloids used in a wide range of food additive and commercial chemical applications is valued at over $1 billion annually. The Caribbean cannot initially compete with the intensively cultivated, massive seaplant farms in Asia that have most of their harvests processed in China for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Therefore, we believe the initial target market for the Caribbean should be high-value exports of sustainable seaplant products for human consumption. Thus, there is a major opportunity to disrupt Asias archaic billion-dollar tropical carrageenan industry and introduce a new seaplant industry to the Caribbean for exporting nutritious and sustainable food products.

The reception from prospective investors and stakeholders can be summarised by two words: ambitious and awesome. However, it is too early for private sector investment, so the public sector must step-up to make this ambitious venture awesome for improving the Caribbean economy.

There is a potential market for regenerative and healthy seaplants harvested from pristine Caribbean Ocean waters branded as superfood for the global $168 billion dietary and supplement industry. Seaplants have 92 of the 102 essential minerals required for strengthening human immune systems for combating Covid-19 and other inflammatory diseases. A superfood brand would also be appealing to the emerging market of eco-conscious and humane consumers seeking alternatives to unsustainable protein produced in polluting animal factories.

Seaplants are a zero-input food that don't need fresh water, feed, fertilisers or land, and can be grown over massive ocean areas. Furthermore, seaplants can double their biomass within two weeks, sequestering massive amounts of CO2 as a nature-based solution for helping to decarbonise our planet. This branding message is compelling for impact investments by thousands of individuals, corporations, and nations seeking to meet their decarbonisation pledges.

KZO Sea Farms

The Caribbean is facing significant effects of climate change, like all regions across the globe. With rising temperatures, seaplant crops may become more susceptible to disease and epiphyte growth. The lack of genetic diversity and climate change may reduce seaplant yield unless there is a research programme for developing better strains that are more tolerant to temperature and other environmental changes.

Concurrent with the proposed pilot project operations, we intend to collaborate with Caribbean regional stakeholders to identify the most appropriate ocean areas for developing offshore seaplant mariculture. This task will include prospecting sites with minimal expenses for both farming operations and transportation of seaplant product for processing and exports. We also believe the future for a Caribbean Seaplant Industry will be moving farming operations offshore to deeper waters, not conflicting with coral reef ecology, ocean tourism, vessel traffic or the fisheries industry. Moreover, offshore mariculture will mitigate theft and vandalism, which will be a significant risk factor in a slowly recovering economy.

Most importantly, prospective investors are not interested unless the farm infrastructure is protected from storms, typhoons and hurricanes. To overcome this risk, with a few days notice, the HDPE pipes can be filled with seawater, allowing the farming structure to be lowered to where there is an exponential decrease in ocean energy from winds and currents caused by storms. Using compressed air from scuba tanks, the structure can be resurfaced for deployment in the optimum ocean depth.

I envision our competitive advantage as a "first mover" in a billion-dollar industry deploying a economically competitive and comprehensive seaplant farming system providing four transformative benefits:

I do have hope following the recent disruptions in the supply chain with China, from where the United States imports most of its seafood, contributing to its multi-billion-dollar trade deficit. Americans are awakening from the nightmare of not having a domestic source of healthy seafood and reliant on undocumented seafood products cultivated in questionable waters. Moreover, the existential crisis of global climate change will provide more scientific data to help mitigate over-regulation of sustainable mariculture for feeding the future and decarbonising our planet.

Rob Fletcher has been writing about aquaculture since 2007, as editor of Fish Farmer, Fish Farming Expert and The Fish Site. He has an MA in history from the University of Edinburgh and an MSc in sustainable aquaculture from the University of St Andrews. He currently lives and works in Scotland.

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Kick-starting the Caribbean's seaweed farming sector - The Fish Site

Royal Caribbean will add adults-only area to Perfect Day at CocoCay – Royal Caribbean Blog

A new expansion at Royal Caribbean's private island in The Bahamas will cater to adults.

In September 2021, Royal Caribbean teased a new expansion coming to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Hideaway Beach.

The announcement confirmed the expansion and name, but no other details.

During an earnings call with investors on Friday, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO confirmed Hideaway Beach will be an adults-only area.

"We have an expansion taking place in perfect day with the addition of Hideaway Beach, which is a new experience that will open in late '22 for Perfect Day," Mr. Bayley said while talking about port projects on the books. "The beauty of Hideaway Beach is that it is an adult only area as part of Perfect Day."

Mr. Bayley said the new area will increase the capacity of the private island by "approximately 3000" passengers.

Mr. Bayley also added that Hideaway Beach will help improve the cruise line's overall profitability and drive more more revenue, which seems to indicate Hideaway Beach will have an extra cost.

The choice of an adults-only was part of a survey sent to some guests in late September for what sort of activities they would want see added to the island experience.

Hideaway Beach will be located on the western end of the island in a cove area that is slowly being developed.

The western end of the island is undeveloped land, as well as backstage storage and lodging, but it appears those operations can be relocated.

This will be the first expansion of CocoCay since the pandemic, and first since the Coco Beach Club was completed in early 2020.

Originally posted here:

Royal Caribbean will add adults-only area to Perfect Day at CocoCay - Royal Caribbean Blog

Caribbean-inspired burgers loaded with queso blanco and aioli: Try the recipe – Fox News

Burgers, but better. With this satisfying recipe, youll get rich, nuanced flavor and an elevated burger thats sure to be a crowd-pleaser, whether youre watching the World Series or cheering on your alma mater on the gridiron.

"The sofrito [peppers, onions, garlic and cilantro], queso blanco and pink aioli atop the burgers are inspired by Caribbean/Latin roots. Its a nice touch of extra flavor that I enjoy serving to my friends when were watching sports," says chef Jacqueline Kleis of Wild Fork Foods, which sells specialty grocery items.

BAKED POTATO POPS RECIPE FOR GAME DAY

Servings 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

SMOKED 'OVER THE TOP' SLOPPY JOES ARE CALLING YOUR NAME FOR YOUR MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL DINNER

Chef Jacqueline Kleis of Wild Fork Foods shared her Caribbean-inspired burger recipe with Fox News. (Wild Fork)

For burgers:

TRY HIDDEN VALLEYS BUFFALO RANCH CHICKEN DIP: GET THE RECIPE

For pink aioli:

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These Caribbean-inspired Wagyu burgers are made with queso blanco and pink aioli. (Wild Fork)

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Caribbean-inspired burgers loaded with queso blanco and aioli: Try the recipe - Fox News

30+ Movies Like Pirates of the Caribbean For The Swashbuckling Heart – Scary Mommy

Buena Vista Pictures

There arent many movies out there that can boast high seas adventure complete with ghost pirates, a mischievous monkey, and rum (so much rum), but The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise more than delivers on all fronts. Across five epic films, characters like the legendary Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann get into all manner of trouble as they search for missing treasure, protect the Black Pearl from rival pirates and the East India Trading Company, and face down sea monsters, including a rather hungry Kraken. Based on the Disney World ride of the same name, the franchise is the film equivalent of a rollercoaster and like most rides, there were a few dips in quality along the way (the less said about On Strange Tides, the better). Still, its hard to beat a movie night spent with Jack Sparrow, although it should be noted his brand of swashbuckling is far from the only game in town. Even the most loyal fans of Sparrow have to watch a different movie every now and again. On the bright side, theres no shortage of movies like Pirates of the Caribbean out there, even though not all of them feature pirates.

Ultimately, when you say youre in the mood for a Pirates of the Caribbean-esque movie, what youre really saying is you want to watch an action movie full of laughs and jaw-dropping action sequences. And that just so happens to be Hollywoods very favorite kind of action movie. From Disneys most recent ride-turned-movie release Jungle Cruise to the animated fun of Treasure Planet, the movies on this list all have the same energy as Pirates of the Caribbean.

Whether you want to watch a crew steal the Declaration of Independence or sail across the ocean with Robert Downey Jr. and a literal boatload of animals, these movies like Pirates of the Caribbean have you covered.

Like Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise is based on a popular Disney parks ride, but thats not all the movies have in common. They both feature a water-themed adventure and a search for a mysterious treasure (in this case, the treasure is a mythical tree with healing powers). Jungle Cruise also boasts a stellar cast, including Dwayne Johnson as the burly skipper Frank Wolff and Emily Blunt as the ambitious Dr. Lily Houghton.

It may be set in modern times, but National Treasure takes viewers on a journey thats every bit as exciting as a trip across monster-infested waters. When Ben Gates finds evidence the treasure hes been looking for his entire life actually exists, he sets off on a wild quest to uncover the secrets Americas founding fathers hid in the Declaration of Independence.

Brendan Fraser is one of Hollywoods most underrated action heroes. Case in point: The Mummy, a 1925-set epic featuring Frasers Rick teaming with a librarian, Evelyn (Rachel Weisz), to go on a journey across the Sahara Desert. Things get complicated when they accidentally awaken a cursed mummy and inadvertently find themselves on a mission to save the world.

If you havent seen the Indian Jones movies for some reason, then youre in for a treat. Harrison Ford is one of Hollywoods original blockbuster stars, and he absolutely shines as the daring archeologist. In the first movie of the franchise, Jones faces down Nazis and snakes in his pursuit of a valuable religious relic.

Sure, Jack Sparrow is cool, but Captain Hook is legendary. There are plenty of movies based on Peter Pan you could watch that will give you Pirates of the Caribbean vibes, but we maintain Hook is the best one of the bunch. The movie stars Robin Williams as an adult Peter, who must journey to Neverland once more when Hook kidnaps his children, which leads to him reconnecting with the friends he left behind along the way.

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30+ Movies Like Pirates of the Caribbean For The Swashbuckling Heart - Scary Mommy

360 resilience: a guide to prepare the Caribbean for a new generation of shocks – Jamaica – ReliefWeb

By Julie Rozenberg, Nyanya Browne, Sophie De Vries Robb, Melanie Kappes, Woori Lee, and Abha Prasad

SUMMARY

Caribbean countries, a set of mostly Small Island Developing States (SIDS), have a history of dealing with large shocks. The region is threatened by both economic and natural hazards.

Nations have specialized in tourism and commodity exports, disproportionally exposing them to global economic cycles through changes in tourism demand and commodity prices. They are also located in a region that is highly exposed to a range of natural hazardsfrom volcanic eruptions to earthquakes and hurricaneswhich damage their infrastructure stock, reduce tourism demand, and destroy agricultural production. Hazards have often caused severe damage to economies and livelihoods in the region.

Despite their varying national capacities and exposure to natural hazards and economic volatility, the countries of the Caribbean have sustained long-term development progress. Their specialization in sectors where they have a comparative advantage (tourism and commodities) has led to relatively high income levels. Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Sint Maarten, St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos are high-income countries; and Belize, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname are upper-middle-income countries. Haiti is the regions only low-income country.

But high income levels have also come, historically, with high exposure to global business cycles and natural hazards, which has resulted in high economic volatility, high unemployment, and persistent inequality and poverty. Economic growth has slowed over the past 10 years, and more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that, although the region was prepared to handle shocks, it is vulnerable to and dependent on changes in global tourism demand.

Taking a holistic approach to resilience, this report assesses the historical and future impacts of shocks in the Caribbean, policy responses to those shocks, and gaps in resilience building. It offers two main findings and a series of recommendations for policy makers.

Finding 1: Caribbean countries have achieved resilience levels that have allowed them to support economic development despite large recurring damages and losses from multiple hazards and shocks. But this relies to a large extent on informal mechanisms that neither systematically protect the poor and most vulnerable groups nor prevent the loss of human capital. Businesses in the region have invested in disaster preparedness, staff training, and backup infrastructure like water tanks and electric generators. Remittances from abroad have blunted declines in consumption after disasters. In many cases, governments have prepared adeptly for extreme events, also benefiting from regional collaboration mechanisms to monitor and forecast hurricanes and organize a coordinated response when the impact exceeds individual countries response capacity. Past efforts have, however, left some people behind. One in five people in the region still lives in poverty and past shocks have contributed to pushing people into and keeping them in poverty.

Finding 2: Caribbean countries are not prepared for the new challenges posed by climate change, compounded by uncertainty on future tourism markets and a lack of fiscal space. The strategies that have worked in the past will not be enough in the future. Climate change threatens to intensify natural hazards and brings new sources of volatility though impacts on health, agriculture yields, and coastal landscapes. The post-COVID-19 world brings more uncertainty on prospects for tourism. Many countries have also depleted their fiscal space and coping capacity while dealing with past crises.

These new challenges call for more consistent approaches to resilience, building on stronger institutions, robust analytics, and more transparent prioritization. To boost resilience and better prepare for the shocks and stresses of the future, this report recommends that Caribbean governments focus on three main areas:

Increasing government efficiency by improving investment management and infrastructure maintenance, clarifying procurement rules for emergency situations, allocating budgets transparently, ensuring fiscal rules are robust, and layering risk financing strategies

Empowering households and the private sector by increasing both the coverage and adequacy of social protection, strengthening worker skills for resilience, improving access to finance, and facilitating access to risk information

Reducing future physical risk by investing in critical infrastructure, better enforcing building codes and standards, systematically considering emerging and changing risks, and planning to build back better after shocks.

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360 resilience: a guide to prepare the Caribbean for a new generation of shocks - Jamaica - ReliefWeb

The Deleted Pirates Of The Caribbean Scene That Would Have Changed Everything – Looper

The scene in question happens while Sparrow is a prisoner aboard the East India Trading Company's flagship, and also features Lord Cutler Beckett(Tom Hollander).Jack is shoved into Beckett's office, and the villain reminds him that they had previously had a deal in which the pirate was to deliver cargo for him, but Jack "liberated" it instead. To which Jack replies casually, "People aren't cargo, mate" as he upturns items looking for the heart of Davy Jones(Bill Nighy), which Beckett tells him is stowed safely aboard another ship.

Beckett also uses the conversation to remind Jack Sparrow of his debt to Davy Jones: At some point,Beckett sunk Jack's ship in revenge for liberating that cargo. Jackpromised his soul to the ruthless ruler of the Seven Seas in exchange for raising Jack's ship and years of servitude. Jack tellsBeckett the debt has been paid, but Beckett says, "And yet, here you are." Clearly, this deal with Davy Jones doesn't sit well with this evil seafarer. During the exchange, Jack tells Beckett, "You have spared me any possibility of ending up as anything other than what I am, and for that, I truly thank you."

ThenBeckett gets to the nitty-gritty. He wants information about who the pirate lords are, where they're meeting as theBrethren Court, and the purpose of the Nine Pieces of Eight.

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The Deleted Pirates Of The Caribbean Scene That Would Have Changed Everything - Looper

Premium Cruise Brands to Expand Restart to More Destinations – Cruise Industry News

As the cruise restart reaches new heights, premium operators are expanding, with more ships restarting in more destinations, including South Africa and the Panama Canal.

Cruise Industry News looked into the restart status of six key brands:

Celebrity CruisesStatus:Eight ships currently in service; two more set to follow by Dec. 1Ships:Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Flora, Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Silhouette, Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Xpedition currently in service; Celebrity Constellation and Celebrity Reflection set to follow in NovemberRegions:Caribbean, Bahamas and Galapagos

Celebrity Cruises resumed guest service in June 2021 with a program in the Caribbean. Following a bold restart plan, the company added seven more cruise ships into the active lineup by the end of July, returning to several destinations, including the Mediterranean, Alaska and the Galapagos

Now, Celebrity is ready to launch a new phase of its resumption program, adding two more ships into active service by Dec. 1.

The brand is also returning to Tampa, where the Celebrity Constellation is set to welcome guests back on Nov. 7.

Holland America LineStatus:Four ships currently in service; one more set to follow by Dec. 1Ships:Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam and Rotterdam in service; Nieuw Statendam set to follow Regions:Atlantic, Caribbean, Mexico and California

After a 16-month hiatus, Holland America Line resumed guest service in July 2021 with a summer season in Alaska. The brand later expanded its restart to the Mediterranean and the West Coast, adding two more ships into the active lineup.

Recently, on Oct. 20, the Carnival Corporation premium brand reached a major milestone, celebrating the maiden voyage of the new Rotterdam. The 2021-built vessel is currently sailing on its first transatlantic crossing, ahead of an inaugural season in the Caribbean.

Now, the Nieuw Statendam is set to resume service next. Complementing the offer in the Caribbean, the 2018-built vessel is welcoming guests back in Fort Lauderdale, on Nov. 21.

Princess CruisesStatus:Six ships currently in service; two more set to follow by Dec. 1Ships:Majestic Princess, Regal Princess, Sky Princess, Grand Princess, Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess in service; Caribbean Princess and Enchanted Princess set to followRegions:Caribbean, Mexico, California and Panama Canal

After concluding its first post-pandemic seasons in the United Kingdom and the Alaska, Princess Cruises is now onto a new phase of its restart program.

The brand is currently offering cruises to the Caribbean, the Mexican Riviera, the California Coast and the Panama Canal, with six ships in revenue service.

Sailing from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Port Everglades, the active fleet is soon being joined by two more vessels: the Caribbean Princess and the Enchanted Princess in the Caribbean

Both ships are offering additional itinerary choices in the Caribbean, while the Enchanted Princess is also embarking on its inaugural season. The 2020-built ship is set to welcome its first guests on Nov. 10 at Port Everglades.

Oceania CruisesStatus:Two ships currently in service; one more set to follow in DecemberShips:Marina and Riviera in service; Insignia set to followRegions:Mediterranean, Atlantic and Panama Canal

Oceania Cruises currently has two vessels in service in Europe, the Marina and the Riviera.

The brand first welcomed guests back in August, with the Marina sailing a series of cruises to Western Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Greek Isles. The Riviera joined the active lineup in October offering additional itineraries in the Mediterranean.

Both ships vessels are set to cross the Atlantic in November ahead of winter seasons in the Caribbean.

In December, a third ship is resuming service for the upper-premium brand: the Insignia. The 700-guest vessel is set to offer a Panama Canal cruise before kicking off its epic six-month-long "Around the World in 180 Days" voyage.

Cunard LineStatus:One ship currently in service; one more set to follow in NovemberShip:Queen Elizabeth in service; Queen Mary 2 set to followRegions:United Kingdom, Western Europe, Atlantic Islands, Mediterranean and Atlantic

Cunard Line returned to guest operations in August after a 17-month break. The brand first welcomed guests back in the United Kingdom, with the Queen Elizabeth offering a series of domesticcruises around the British Islands.

The 2000-guest vessel later resumed international operations sailing itineraries to Western Europe, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Islands.

After a recent refit, the Queen Mary 2 is now set to return offering cruises in Northern Europe and the Canaries. The vessel is departing Southampton on a its first cruise in over 20 months on Nov. 28.

AzamaraStatus:Two ship currently in service; one more set to follow in January Ship:Azamara Quest and Azamara Journey in service; Azamara Pursuit set to followRegions:Mediterranean, Caribbean, South Africa and Canaries

In August, the Azamara Quest became the first vessel to resume service for Azamara. The ship welcomed guests back with a program of Greece-based Eastern Mediterranean cruises.

The Azamara Journey later joined the active lineup in Europe. After a refit in Cdiz, the kicked off a series of Europe sailings in October offering additional itinerary choices in the Mediterranean.

Azamara is now ready to launch winter programs in the Canary Islands and the Caribbean, using both vessels.

Recently the brand also confirmed its return to South African waters. The Azamara Pursuit will sail in the region from January to March 2022, offering six back-to-back voyages.

Read more:

Premium Cruise Brands to Expand Restart to More Destinations - Cruise Industry News

Up Over 3x From Covid Lows, Is Royal Caribbean Stock Still A Buy? – Forbes

UKRAINE - 2021/09/19: In this photo illustration a Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd logo seen displayed ... [+] on a smartphone. (Photo Illustration by Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Royal Caribbean stock (NYSE: RCL), the second-largest cruise line operator, has seen its stock largely move sideways in recent weeks, although it remains down by about 4% over the past month, compared to the broader S&P 500, which gained about 2% over the same period. Things are slowing, but surely looking up for the leisure cruising industry, which bore the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic. Royal Caribbean resumed sailing from U.S. ports in late June and has indicated its entire fleet of 26 ships will be back in service by early 2022. Ticket pricing is also poised to look up, driven by higher vaccination rates and pent-up demand for cruising, and its likely that bookings for 2022 could approach or exceed 2019 levels. Covid-19 infections in the U.S. have also been trending steadily lower, after seeing a big surge through the summer, boding well for cruising stocks.

So is Royal Caribbean stock a buy at current levels? While the industry is likely to see a strong recovery in the coming months, we think this is largely priced into RCL stock, which has rallied by over 200% from the low of $28 seen in March 2020. In fact, the stock now trades near $85 presently, marking a discount of just about 28% from its pre-Covid highs. However, investors need to account for higher levels of risk versus pre-Covid levels, given the companys total debt has increased from roughly $6.4 billion in 2017 to close to $20 billion currently. The company is also seeing higher interest costs and this could weigh on profitability. Moreover, with a 100% containment of Covid-19 looking unlikely and new mutations of the virus remaining a threat, there could be some revenue risk for cruise line operators in the medium term.

While RCL stock has seen lower levels during the current Covid-19 crisis, how did it fare in the 2008 crisis? Our analysis on RCL 2008 vs Now compares RCLs performance over the 2008 financial crisis versus the Covid-19 crisis.

[8/24/2021] Is Royal Caribbean Stock A Buy At $80?

We believe that Royal Caribbean stock (NYSE: RCL), the second-largest cruise line operator, looks like a reasonably good buying opportunity at current levels. RCL stock trades near $80 presently and it is, in fact, down 40% from its pre-Covid levels of around $134 per share at the end of 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic hit the world. The stock recovered meaningfully over the first few months of this year, as growing vaccination rates and the plans to resume sailing caused investors to get more optimistic about Royal Caribbeans prospects. However, the stock declined by almost 15% since early June 2021 as the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant of the Coronavirus and the recent surge in U.S. infections have hurt the near-term outlook for the cruising industry. But now that the stock has corrected to accommodate the slower than expected near-term recovery, we believe that RCL stock looks quite attractive at the current levels of around $80 per share.

While RCL stock has seen lower levels during the current Covid-19 crisis, how did it fare in the 2008 crisis? Our analysis on RCL 2008 vs Now compares RCLs performance over the 2008 financial crisis versus the Covid-19 crisis. Parts of the analysis are summarized below.

Timeline of Coronovirus Crisis So Far:

In contrast, here is how RCL stock and the broader market fared during the 2007-08 crisis.

Timeline of 2007-08 Crisis

Royal Caribbean vs S&P 500 Performance Over 2007-08 Financial Crisis

RCL stock declined from levels of around $40 in October 2007 (the pre-crisis peak) to roughly $6 in March 2009 (as the markets bottomed out), implying that the stock lost as much as 85% of its value from its approximate pre-crisis peak. This marked a significantly higher drop than the broader S&P, which fell by about 51%. However, RCL recovered strongly post the 2008 crisis to about $26 by the end of 2009 rising by 320% between March 2009 and January 2010. In comparison, the S&P bounced back by about 48% over the same period.

RCL Fundamentals Were Strong Until Covid-19 Hit

Royal Caribbeans revenues rose fairly consistently from $8.8 billion in 2017 to about $11 billion in 2019, as demand for cruises increased. The companys earnings also grew over the period, rising from $7.57 per share to about $8.97 per share. However, the picture changed dramatically over 2020 due to the Covid-19 crisis, as revenues dropped to just $2.2 billion, with the company posting a loss of about $27 per share over the year. Although the company resumed sailing from U.S. ports in late June 2021, after almost 15 months of inactivity, revenues are still expected to decline further in FY21 to under $2 billion, per consensus estimates, as the spread of the more infectious Delta variant of the virus likely causes some customers to hold back on cruising due to the recent resurgence of U.S. Covid cases.

Does RCL Have A Sufficient Cash Cushion To Meet Its Obligations Through The Coronavirus Crisis?

Royal Caribbeans total debt has increased from roughly $6.4 billion in 2017 to about $18 billion as of 2020, while its total cash increased from roughly $100 million to over $4.3 billion over the same period, as the company has raised funding to tide over the crisis. The company burned about $3.7 billion in 2020 as operations were suspended through much of the year and monthly cash burn over the second quarter of 2021 stood at about $330 million. Although the cash burn rate is high, Royal Caribbeans adequate cash cushion should be sufficient to keep it going over the next several quarters, even if demand remains muted. That said, higher interest costs could weigh on profitability through the post-Covid recovery period.

CONCLUSION

Phases of Covid-19 crisis:

Overall, we believe that RCL stock is likely to see higher levels going forward. While FY21 is also likely to remain a tough year for the company, 2022 is looking better. Although Covid-19 could linger, cruise line companies (and their passengers) will likely adapt to the new normal, potentially requiring vaccines for passengers and staff, submissions of a negative coronavirus test, and mask-wearing in indoor spaces. Royal Caribbean, along with its major rivals Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line NCLH , has signaled robust demand for 2022, even factoring in higher prices for cruises. Consensus estimates point to sales of over $10 billion for 2022, approaching pre-Covid levels. With RCL stock remaining down by about 40% since late 2019, and demand slated to pick up, the risk to reward tradeoff for the stock is looking more compelling, in our view.

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Read more:

Up Over 3x From Covid Lows, Is Royal Caribbean Stock Still A Buy? - Forbes

Aimbridge Hospitality Expands Caribbean Presence with the Addition of the Radisson Blu Resort & Residence Punta Cana – PRNewswire

Rob Smith, Executive Vice President of Operations-Full Service and Resorts, who spent 17 years in the Caribbean in operations and tourism development, said: "We are thrilled to welcome the Radisson Blu Resort & Residence to our growing Caribbean footprint in the key market of the Dominican Republic. Aimbridge's specialized focus in the resort vertical and deep experience operating destination properties with multiple, high-touch guest activations, private ownership, and revenue streams will bring immense value to the property, as we understand the unique requirements to profitably manage highly complex, distinctive assets."

The resort features 163 elegant suites ranging from one- to three-bedrooms, with spa-like bathrooms. Amenities include six all-inclusive restaurant and bar experiences, in addition to a wide range of guest activations, recreation and entertainment including a spa and wellness center, kid's club, and lagoon-style pool.

Indoor, outdoor and waterfront venues host up to 150 for seaside gatherings, weddings and galas and team conferences, with approximately 3,400 square feet of meeting and banquet space. The resort additionally boasts a gorgeous pier area, the perfect venue for stunning over-the-water events and weddings.

Radisson Blue Punta Cana Resort & Residences is located at Playa Cabeza de Toro, Punta Cana, 23000, Dominican Republic. For more information, visit here.

About Aimbridge Hospitality

Aimbridge Hospitalityis a leading, global hospitality company offering best-in-class hotel management services across a broad spectrum of franchised branded full service, select service, luxury hotels, destination resorts, convention centers and lifestyle hotels. Aimbridge's premium portfolio represents 1,500 properties in 49 states and 20 countries, inclusive of pipeline. With the most robust brand diversity in the industry, Aimbridge and its affiliates represent 84 lodging brands, in addition to more than 82 independent boutique/lifestyle hotels in the portfolio. As the world's largest third-party operator, Aimbridge is dedicated to its mission to leverage its scale to add value for owners and opportunities for associates better than any hospitality operator. Alignedwith a concentrated focus, agility and expertise for each vertical, Aimbridge drives market success for hotels and optimizes investment returns for owners.Aimbridge Hospitality's global headquarters is based in Plano, Texas, with additional corporate offices in Atlanta, Calgary, Fargo, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.Evolution Hospitality, Aimbridge's Lifestyle Division, is based in San Clemente, Calif. Aimbridge's International Division,Interstate Hotels & Resorts, has supporting offices across Europe in Amsterdam, Birmingham, Glasgow and Moscow.The company's division in Mexico,Group Hotelero Prisma, has offices in Monterrey and Mexico City.For more information on Aimbridge Hospitality, please visithttp://https://www.aimbridgehospitality.com/and connect with Aimbridge onLinkedIn.

SOURCE Aimbridge Hospitality

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Aimbridge Hospitality Expands Caribbean Presence with the Addition of the Radisson Blu Resort & Residence Punta Cana - PRNewswire