Monthly Archives: February 2022

PR Newswire

DUBAI, U.A.E, Feb. 2, 2022

DUBAI, U.A.E, Feb. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The business world is witnessing a surge in the number of High Net-worth Individuals looking for a Caribbean passport. And that's why today, the Caribbean recovery is majorly influenced by these individuals and private equity.

In the latest interview with the CEO of CTrustGlobal, he mentioned a spike in the percentage of individuals applying for secondary citizenship. Most inquiries are from developing nations such as, but not limited to, Pakistan, India, and countries of the Middle East.

Caribbean Passport: An asset worth keeping for a brighter, safer future.

"Alternative citizenship gives you all the freedom of traveling visa-free to a lot more places. Apart from this, investing in real estate and setting up a business without much hassle acts as the extra icing, if Caribbean citizenship by investment is their choice," says CEO CTrustGlobal.

"If you are someone who is not dependent on a Job and is Independently Wealthy with an interest in Travel and Business investments, "Investment migration" is Your best way out," says CTrustGlobal CEO.

Most countries have citizenship by investment Program - all that differs is the time and price to secure it. One must go through all the research and base their decision according to the requirements and budget.

Where are the wealthy moving these days?

"Without a doubt, it's the Caribbean islands - Caribbean passports that offer visa-free travel to nearly 140 to 160 countries," says the CEO, CTrustGlobal.

Let's look at the secrets that make this region so attractive.

A Strong Economic Bounce-Back

The Caribbean is a tourist-dependent region. It remains one of the most prominent destinations in the world. And yet, it's situated in the eye of the storm.

Hurricanes have passed through with high frequency and intensity. Some of them are utterly destructive for tourist operators. But many have adapted to the bitterness of rising again from the ashes.

Story continues

COVID-19 impact may have been even greater to these regions. It struggled with border closures, flight cancellations, and a near-fall of the cruise-ship market. The human impact of the virus affected tens of thousands.

A report by the Caribbean Tourism Organization shows a drop in tourism arrivals in 2020 in comparison to 2019. The decline was estimated to be at 65%, the biggest in the region.

Despite these challenges, more and more HNWIs are eyeing the region. It makes one wonder what secret lies here. One of the reasons is the region's quick adjustment to situations.

Experts indicate that Caribbean countries were quicker to implement measures for the pandemic. Tourists returned faster compared to other destinations. It outperformed many other parts of the world, which experienced even steeper drops.

Such a strong economy would attract different investors. It's one of the reasons why HNWIs come here.

The Caribbean enjoys some of the highest levels of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) globally. Many of its economies have FDI to GDP ratios above 10%.

Although the 2008 financial crisis greatly reduced its FDI flow, the region has witnessed a considerable recovery recently. It's still one of the significant economic destinations around.

The Best CBI Programs

Citizen-by-Investment is the process of obtaining a second citizenship and passport through investment. One can buy a property in a host country to acquire citizenship. It's a much faster way of becoming a citizen than the traditional immigration method.

The investor does not need to visit or reside in the host country. CBI is the best way for HNWIs to invest in other opportunities globally.

An applicant can have approval roughly within three months. They will receive permanent citizenship, a valid passport, and visa-free travel, among other benefits.

This is what investors from third-world and developing countries look for. It's no longer just a luxury, but rather a necessity.

Let's look at the two countries that have the highest number of investments in the Caribbean:

India

A press release the Business Standard mentions a rise in the number of Indian HNWIs investing in the Caribbean. They are looking for a better way of diversifying their wealth.

This country faces uncertainties around the healthcare industry, primarily influenced by the pandemic. Also, essential tax rules are affecting their investments. Affluent Indians are therefore looking for a better life for their families and more stable financial assets.

CTrustGlobal reports a sharp increase in the Indian upper class investing in other countries. India has close to 7,000 ultra-high-net-worth individuals and over 100 billionaires.

The Global Wealth Migration Review report indicates that close to 5000 millionaires migrated abroad in 2020 alone. A larger percentage of them ended up in the Caribbean.

The Indian government has created flexible policies that allow HNWIs to invest abroad in the past few years. This has allowed them to get citizenship in these countries.

Caribbean countries offer the best CBI programs for Indians. It's no wonder the Indian community is growing steadily. More and more affluent Indians are coming here for business and wealth diversification and a better life for their families.

Nigeria

Despite having vast resources, the Nigerian HNWIs community faces too many global travel restrictions by the Nigerian passport. It grants visa-free access to only 54 destinations, which already includes other African nations.

This is a very small number compared to her neighbors like Ghana, Cameroon, and Cote d'Ivoire. Passports from these countries grant access to other high-end destinations like Europe and the USA.

Investing in Dominica citizenship is the best move. Pairing the Nigerian passport with a Caribbean passport opens doors to more than 150 more destinations globally. This includes the UK, the USA, Russia, and China, which are considered to be economic superpowers.

The CBI process is quick and straightforward. The process will take about three months to complete. Once done, the individual enjoys a wide range of benefits, including expanded visa-free travel to over 200 countries.

Also, investing in the Caribbean passport opens access to tax exemptions from different incomes, gifts, inheritance and wealth, and the best educational institutions. It's a great opportunity for any African investor looking for easy access to the global economy.

Other Reasons

There are several other reasons why the Caribbean has become a favorite destination for HNWIs. Consider the following:

A safe environment

The stable economic development of this region makes it an excellent place for investment. The entire region has been enjoying steady economic growth of about 5% per year, majorly from tourism.

Flexible tax policy

Caribbean countries like Grenada don't impose a foreign income tax, property tax, gift tax, wealth, or inheritance tax on investors. They offer corporate tax incentives to attract more investors, exempting all import taxes too. Also, there is no limit to the flow of capital and profits back home. These are attractive offers for HNWIs investors.

Excellent quality of life

The Caribbean CBI program allows investors to own dual nationality. With this comes the lowest-paid family costs in places like Grenada and Dominica. One can also migrate to the USA using the E2 visa, which allows them to establish, advance, and operate businesses. Besides, their spouse will have the rights to work, and the children can attend the school of their choice.

Final Thought

Investing in the Caribbean CBI is an excellent move for HNWIs who needs access to better business opportunities. The use of FDI promotion policies is more extensive and prevalent here than any other place. It's evidence of stable economic growth. With such a welcoming environment, there is no questions why it is so attractive to investors.

Cision

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SOURCE ctrustglobal.com

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The Caribbean: The Haven for The Wealthiest People In The World - Yahoo Finance

"Double rum and Coke please," is a phrase heard in every London bar and pub every night of the week. The rich, spicy, treacly and sometimes fruity spirit is a popular drink, but its traditions go far deeper - they evoke a spirit of community, connection and heritage that is inherent in Caribbean culture.

Rum has so much significance that Cashain David, now CEO and Rum Architect of Kromanti, remembers his Caribbean family always pouring out symbolic glasses of rum despite never drinking alcohol themselves. The East London rum master was born and raised in Yorkshire, England but had a strong connection to his Caribbean heritage - his family are from Carriacou, a small island that's part of Grenada - and rum, for him, is about sharing stories and connecting with communities.

"As a young child growing up in Yorkshire in the Caribbean community, rum shows up when you're 'hatched, matched and dispatched'," Cashain, 57, said.

"It's throughout all of the different life cycles. Rum is something that is used to celebrate, to remember, to call upon people's hidden strength, to recognise the wisdom of those who have gone before us and passed over.

READ MORE: London's first Black bookshop saved from closure after 90k raised in 11 days

"Whenever there was a funeral, the bottle or rum would be brought out, and the first drink would be poured on the ground - saving the first drink from any bottle of rum for the ancestors who have come before you, bringing them to you.

"When families are brought together through marriage, you will often spill some rum on the ground, invoking the spirits of togetherness, of people and families being recognised. The same happens when people are born."

Cashain said that these traditions aren't always something he fully understood as a child, but the more that he learned about Caribbean history he realised how far back these rituals went and how intrinsic they were in his heritage. He also made the salient discovery that rum was created as a byproduct of the sugar trade - a trade that was enabled by slavery - and that the traditions of rum were carried around the world by enslaved people.

With Kromanti, Cashain wanted to create a rum that held the spirit of heritage, connection and togetherness at its core, while also recognising the historical significance of the beverage and reclaim its distinctly Caribbean nature.

"It [is not] just about a liquid that you can have a party with, get inebriated with - I've never understood rum in that way," Cashain said.

"I've always understood it as having a much more spiritual significance - there's an aspect of the rum story that is rarely heard. An aspect of individual stories."

One way that Kromanti rum maintains this traditional significance is in its ingredients: it is infused with Caribbean herbs and botanicals, just like homemade rum is in Caribbean households, with a view to celebrate that heritage and pass on the legacy.

"When I've gone back to the Caribbean, and when my children have gone back to the Caribbean, [we've found] it's very common for each household to have a blend, a bottle of rum that's infused with a bark, or a spice, or whatever," he said. "And that knowledge of what you infuse for what purpose is actually one of the things I was fascinated about: how do we retain this information and be able to pass it on?"

Cashain also places an emphasis on building connections, which Kromanti does in its marketing and presentation of its product, encouraging people to maintain the rum's traditions. Cashain has worked in mental health as his day job for the last 30 years, and feels that connection - with each other, with heritage, with ourselves - is an essential facet of happiness that he wants his rum to embody.

He realised, both personally and through speaking with others, that younger people of Caribbean descent often had less of a sense of self, of where they'd come from, and he wanted to use the traditions of rum to reignite that fire. He wanted to connect the younger generation to the stories and wisdom of elders from their community, to ensure that stories of rum's cultural significance and ritual history, as well as more general personal histories, don't die out.

"It was something that I thought was really important, that people have a sense of who they are and what their value is based on. I think that a lot of people take it for granted, who they are and what their history is, and other people have to discover it," said Cashain, who has been building his own knowledge of his heritage and ancestry and wants others to be able to do the same by opening up conversations with elder family members.

"Kromanti is a product of very deep roots," he continued. "Deep roots in people's lived experience, in real culture, in real stories - it's something that was driven by a passion to leave a legacy, but also to find a way to engage that next generation and provide them with something that would help them understand who they are, their strengths, and things that they could rely on in times of adversity."

Kromanti has won a grant from dating app Bumble, part of its 'Bumble Black-owned Small Business Grants' initiative, to produce a series of videos of inter-generational conversations where elder family members pass on knowledge and wisdom to their children and grandchildren.

"We've got members of the Windrush generation and either their children or grandchildren, and we're sort of eavesdropping on the conversation between them," he said. "What is their life experience? What's the wisdom that they want to pass on to the next generation? What are the interesting things that we don't ask our parents or our grandparents?

"We're giving them this opportunity to ask those questions, to be interested, to be enthralled. It's that opportunity of getting together.

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"Hopefully it will encourage other people to do the same. My real desire is that people will take our lead and sit down and ask their parents and their grandparents questions," he added.

"We've been through a very difficult period with a lot of our uncles and aunties and parents who came over as young children in the Windrush and got caught up in the whole terrible scandal. It's become quite a big issue, and this is one way to recognise their contribution and to hear their stories in a very intimate way.

"Some of them are quite difficult subjects, there's a whole treasure trove of information there, and I'm hoping that other people will be able to find their [history], something to feel happy and proud about that's part of who they are."

The series of videos produced with help from Bumble's grant will soon be available to watch through Kromanti's website and social media.

Got a story that you think MyLondon should tell? Email rachael.davis@reachplc.com

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Meet the Londoner who serves incredible traditional Caribbean rum that's all about bringing families together - MyLondon

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Feb. 4, 2022: Investing is often a difficult choice. There are so many different investment options that it requires a lot of research in order to make the right choices. Its not just about making a profit either making an ethical investment is at the top of many peoples lists. This is why weve put together a guide to finding the very best ethical investments for your needs.

What Are Ethical Investments?

Ethical investments are often a confusing topic. Many people dont fully understand what ethical trading actually means, but its actually a pretty simple concept to come to terms with. Its basically investing in companies that behave in an ethically and socially responsible manner. This doesnt just mean being environmentally friendly, it also means treating employees, customers and stakeholders fairly.

For example, if a company ensures it avoids polluting the environment and only uses sustainable material, this would mean it behaves ethically towards the environment. However, if that same company uses sweatshops to create its products, then it would no longer be classified as an ethical company. This is what makes ethical investment such a difficult concept for some people. They only look at one particular aspect, rather than the whole picture.

Choosing Your Ethical Investments

The simple fact is that if you want to invest in an ethically responsible manner, then you will have to carry out research. The obvious first step in performing this research relates to the financial performance of a company. While investing in an ethical fashion is obviously an important part of the process, making a profit is still the end goal of investing. So, carry out the research thats required to fully comprehend what the different companies you are thinking of investing in have to offer.

Once you have done this, its time to look into the ethical behavior of those companies. As previously mentioned, this will be related to everything from how it treats its employees to what it does with waste. A great example of a company that is behaving in an ethical manner would be a company that uses the waste from one of its processes to create another product or to create energy. This would be an excellent way to reduce waste and protect the environment. It would also allow the company to be more financially sound.

Employee wages are another aspect that has to be looked into. If employees are not paid a living wage, then the company could not be called ethical. This is due to the employees being taken advantage of for the benefit of the company. If the company is well run, then it is possible to make a profit while also paying employees a fair wage.

Looking Into Areas

Two of the most positive areas when it comes to behaving ethically are the Caribbean and Latin America. Both areas have very high Environmental, Social and Government scores, especially when compared to companies from other more urbanized countries. This has allowed these two areas to become key for the ethical investment arena.

What has really helped Latin America with its shift to more ethical behavior is that it scores very high on the inclusion metric. While it would be disingenuous to claim that this is done solely because companies care, the fact remains that in Latin America, it is a sensible business decision to be inclusive. There are more poorer people in these areas than in other countries in the world, this means that behaving inclusively can be the difference between a brand being successful or not.

So, a Latin American company behaving in an ethical manner isnt just the socially right thing to do, its also the right business choice. This plays a big part in making Latin America a very sensible ethical investment. While it might not always be a solid business decision, it is in this case.

Of course, there are a lot of different investment opportunities in both the Caribbean and Latin America, so its important to make sure that you research thoroughly what is available. It also doesnt mean that every company in these regions is ethically sound. So, ensure you look into how the company behaves rather than simply assuming its an ethical company. Regardless of any companies that dont behave in this manner, youre still more likely to find one that behaves ethically than you are elsewhere, so these regions should be your first port of call.

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Looking To The Caribbean And Latin America For Ethical Investments - Caribbean and Latin America Daily News - News Americas

CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) When Tiffany Highsmith realized her Amazon package was missing, she reviewed the video from the previous day on her front door ring camera.

Right away, she said she thought of the Disney films starring Johnny Depp.

Well I first thought of Pirates of the Caribbean, Highsmith said. But I mean it was pretty funny, I just couldnt believe that it even happened that he was dressed like a pirate.

Clearwater police said the man who was dressed like Captain Jack Sparrow is wanted for being a package swiping porch pirate.

I dont even think it was two minutes the package was delivered and he was making a U-turn to pull up in the driveway, Highsmith said. I just couldnt believe it.

Moments after the Amazon delivery driver left her home in mid-December, the video from the Ring camera shows a 2013 Subaru Forester pull into the driveway.

Highsmith said she hopes the video can help police hold the package pilfering suspect accountable.

Ring cameras are the best thing ever in my opinion, she added.

The suspect didnt take off with any valuable treasure, but rather Highsmith said he may have been disappointed to open the package and find a gift she had ordered for her son.

Hes practicing to be a barber, she said, so it was a leather booster seat gives that would give kids a little height if theyre sitting in a chair and then my husband and I were going to an 80s themed party so it was accessories for a party.

Highsmith tells 8 On Your Side Amazon has replaced the stolen orders, no questions asked,

Anyone who can help identify the Jack Sparrow look-a-like should call Clearwater detectives at 727-562-4242.

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Clearwater homeowner hopes police find Pirates of the Caribbean package thief - WFLA

Join a cruise group on social media or one on one of the cruise aficionado websites and the conversation invariably turns to one thing: "where should I stay the night before my cruise. It's a question that makes sense because many about-to-be cruise passengers fly in a night or two before their cruise and they generally want a hotel that offers transportation to the port.

It's a question asked so often on various Royal Caribbean (RCL) - Get Royal Caribbean Group Report and Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) - Get Carnival Corporation Report Facebook groups that members of those groups often point newer members to old versions of the same question. Booking a hotel for before or after a cruise adds a layer of complexity to cruising that's not welcome because cruises already require air travel unless they live within driving distance from a port.

It's a problem that Royal Caribbean has largely ignored. The cruise line helps with air travel through its Air2Sea program -- which, if customers use it to book their flights gives them certain guarantees about not missing their cruise -- but it does not offer a similar service for booking hotel rooms.

With little fanfare, that changed on Feb. 2 (sort of) as one of the company's brands, but not its namesake brand, has added a hotel room booking service. But, that may not be the whole story if you are a Royal Caribbean customer of the company's titular brand.

Image source: Daniel Kline.

Royal Caribbean's Celebrity brand has introduced a hotel room book service that lets customers book four and five-star hotels for an unlimited number of nights before or after your cruise. There is, however, some hope that the offer will be soon extended to other brands within the Royal Caribbean group.

"While the program is now available for Celebrity Cruises only, it may be coming to Royal Caribbean too. Jessica Suchman, Celebrity's Sales Training and Development Specialist, told travel agents in a webinar, 'this will be a tool for all of our brands at Royal Caribbean Group, but we're beginning here with Celebrity Cruises,'" reported Royal Caribbean Blog's Matt Hochberg,

Currently, you can only book a hotel room through the "Hotels By Celebrity" program if have a Celebrity Cruises reservation number.

The website allows visitors to book up to nine rooms at a time provided the check-in and check-out dates are the same.

"With added health protocols, spending a night or two in the departure city before the cruise begins has never been more important, and offering a hotel booking option offers a more complete vacation planning tool for guests," Hochberg wrote.

Royal Caribbean currently requires passengers to provide a negative Covid test taken within two days of their cruise departure date. That can be done before leaving home if it meets the timeframe, but many cruisers have opted to schedule their tests in the city they are departing from.

Royal Caribbean and Carnival both cater to families. Making it easier to book a cruise along with all of the other things the customer needs to actually take their trip provides a meaningful level of added convenience.

Under the current system, using Air2Sea lets people know what their airfare will be as they book their cruise. That's important because it saves them from having a higher-than-expected cost for travel after the fact and it gives them a true picture of what their vacation may cost.

In addition, Royal Caribbean also has the ability to book blocks of seats from certain cities to bring airfares down. Air2Sea also offers airport transfers which adds another profit center for the company along with an added convenience for customers who fly in on the same day as their cruise.

Adding hotel booking to the mix basically adds in the last piece of the puzzle. Customers can book a full trip all through one company without having to use a travel agent. That's a big convenience for customers which should lead to more bookings for Royal Caribbean as well as more profit since the company likely gets a bounty from the hotels it books customers in the way any travel website would.

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Royal Caribbean Gives Customers Something They Really Want - TheStreet

The newest adults-only all-inclusive resort has officially opened its doors on the island of St Croix.

The dramatically transformed and rebranded, 200-room Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort and Casino began welcoming back guests this week to its new iteration as an adults-only property.

Set on the quiet east end of the island, its the only all-inclusive in St Croix, and one of just two adults-only properties on the island, joined by The Fred in Frederiksted.

Food and beverage concepts include the Waves Marketplace, Oceans Bar and Grill; Carina Cafe and Show Bar (set at the resorts on-site casino), Tuscany Ristorante Italiano and Pureroc, an eatery serving proteins grilled on a sizzling lava rock.

The resort has also debuted its new Oceans brand, a 50-room resort-within-a-resort concept that offers elevated amenities in its own room wing. (Theres also an Oceans resort at Divis St Maarten hotel).

Its a significant launch for St Croix, which has been in the midst of a tourism renaissance since the storms of 2017.

And its a major all-inclusive option for the wider US Virgin Islands, whose all-inclusive portfolio includes the all-inclusive program at the Bolongo Bay Beach Resort in St Thomas.

Thats led to the debut of a new branding for the island: St Croix, a Vibe Like No Other.

For more, visit the Divi Carina Bay.

For more on how to visit the US Virgin Islands, visit the destinations Traveler Screening Portal.

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The Caribbean's Newest Adults-Only Resort Is In St Croix - Caribbean Journal

On-demand charter operator Verijet is expanding its service to include points in the Caribbean, the Opa-locka, Florida-based startup announced this week. The company noted service to the Caribbean will be available on a limited basis because of government restrictions and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Established in October 2020 and operating a fleet of Cirrus SF50 Vision jets, Verijet offers short-haul charter flights in the Southeast and parts of the Western U.S. In its first year of business, the company completed more than 1,200 flights. We've seen tremendous adoption of our service on the East Coast with 51 percent repeat customers since launching in 2020, and we expect to see the same in the Caribbean market, said Verijet chairman and CEO Richard Kane.

Verijets focus is on providing sustainable travel and as such uses the single-engine Vision jet to save more than one ton of CO2 per hour of operation compared with other light jets. The charter company has also partnered with carbon offset credit provider 4Air to further reduce its carbon footprint.

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Verijet Expanding Charter Ops to Caribbean | Business Aviation News - Aviation International News

Some of the girls Im coaching have been messaging saying I cant believe you were there. The incredulity described by Ed Joyce, the former Ireland international and current womens head coach, pretty much sums up the universal reaction to crickets involvement with Allen Stanford.

Formerly Sir Allen, this Texan tycoon, financial fraudster and supposed billionaire even managed to get himself knighted. That is, until the honour was revoked when his crimes came to light. Well get to that.

In 2012 after an FBI and US Securities and Exchange Commission investigation, Stanford was found guilty of running a Ponzi scheme, defrauding countless investors of billions of dollars. Money laundering was also allegedly involved in his story (though Stanford was never charged with laundering offences), as were drug cartels and extra-marital affairs. Stanford remains in prison currently serving a 110-year sentence.

The exact numbers involved in his company, Stanford International Bank, are difficult to quantify. What is certain is that upon his sentencing, Stanford was ordered to surrender $5.9 billion.

The bizarre tale of this criminals investment in cricket took place back in 2008, but has been catapulted back into the public eye thanks to two recent documentaries, both called The Man Who Bought Cricket. One was a podcast produced by the BBC, the other a three part video series on Sky.

To be fair to the countless other nations that play the sport, it was solely English and Caribbean cricket that Stanford temporarily bought. His involvement started in 2008 and ended the following year when he was taken into custody.

Stanford based himself in Antigua. Being the islands largest employer, he was widely seen as a hero, hence the knighthood. He also pumped his (well, it probably wasnt his, as we now know) wealth into West Indian cricket.

According to the Sky documentary, Stanford wanted to build his profile in the UK, so - ever the showman - he flew to London and landed a helicopter at Lords, English crickets spiritual home.

The England Cricket Board (ECB) welcomed him with open arms. What he had to offer was $20 million in prize money for the winner of a one-off match in the stadium he built back in Antigua. The competitors were to be England and a Stanford Superstars side - essentially the West Indian national team. It was the richest single payday in the history of team sports. The ECB asked where to sign.

England went to Antigua in October 2008. They were joined by Middlesex, the winners of a domestic English tournament that year. Trinidad & Tobago, champions of the equivalent Caribbean competition, also tagged along since England and the Superstars needed warm-up games before their contest. Middlesex and Trinidad had a one-off cash showdown between themselves, but it was for $280,000, far less than the $20 million figure offered to their international counterparts.

Eagle-eyed Irish viewers of the Sky documentary would have noticed a few familiar faces. Joyce was there alongside fellow Ireland international Tim Murtagh, both playing in Middlesexs distinctive pink jerseys.

For many, the idea of the big money games just wasnt cricket. Joyce makes his attitude towards the Caribbean trip abundantly clear: Honestly from our point of view we were on holiday.

It didnt seem strange at all. This super wealthy guy thought it was a good idea so we didnt question it. Not many people would have known who Allen Stanford was before, so it just wasnt a big deal.

Myself and my wife got married just before it, we were supposed to go on honeymoon straight after the summer to Argentina and we ended up going to Antigua for a cricket tour instead. It typified our relationship; she calls herself a cricket widow, sacrificing her honeymoon for a tour.

Murtagh echoes similarly positive sentiments: To be fair the whole thing was really well run. People picked us up from the airport, they all had the Stanford clothing with logos on, the buses had Middlesex plastered on the side, it was all professionally done. We stayed at a place called Jolly Beach, an all-inclusive resort.

The ground itself was quite picturesque, nice grassy banks around it, but I remember the facilities being pretty ropey.

These facilities ended up costing Joyce and his Middlesex teammates a bit of cash. During their $280,000 match against Trinidad & Tobago, an expensive dropped catch was blamed on the grounds lighting.

I dropped a bit of money for the lads alright admits Joyce. We didnt get much of a score but it wasnt a great wicket and we actually were doing quite well, but then I dropped Darren Bravo at long on.

Murtagh adds some important context in jest, but to be fair to his former teammate, he is quick to point out a mitigating floodlight issue at Stanfords ground that caused catching problems for all the teams: Bravo went on to score the runs that won them the game! The lights were so low at the ground that any ball that went up above them, you lost sight of it - they were terrible. Ill give him (Joyce) a little bit of leeway there but he definitely spilled a catch that might have cost us.

Andrew Strauss dropped one of the easiest chances Joyce helpfully points out, referencing the then future England captain. It was a tricky ground to field at.

Stanford was obviously not involved in the cricket, but he still did everything he could to make himself the star of the show. Murtagh recalls a strange encounter when the Texan entered the Middlesex changing room to say hello: The dressingroom in sports is a sanctuary and not even members of management from your own county or country come in there.

He (Stanford) constantly had a TV crew with him the whole time, so he walked in, shook everyones hand, sat down and had a beer with us. It was friendly and chatty enough but the fact that this bloke just bowled in was bizarre.

Everyone went along with it since he was bankrolling the whole thing, it was like be nice to this rich American bloke that none of us know, play our games, have the trip and then get out of there.

Joyce agrees: It was his ground, his rules.

Stanford clearly thought that his cash gave him power over the players. He tried to further show them who was boss during Middlesexs clash with England. The Sky series details how, in the middle of the game, he popped up on the grounds big screen with one woman sat on his knee and his arms wrapped around two more. Some of them turned out to be wives and girlfriends of the England players. You can guess their reaction, given how the partners were put in such an awkward position, even if Stanford claimed to not know who they were.

Joyce moved clubs to Sussex the following season and two of his new teammates, Matt Prior and Luke Wright, saw their partners caught up in Stanfords off-field carnival. The episode and the Antigua experience as a whole did briefly come up in conversation: It was a talking point between the lads since they were part of that England team but they didnt talk about the tour that much because they didnt win their game (the Superstars won the $20 million).

I do remember the girls, they were just having a good time, thinking who was this guy with all this money, having a few drinks.

They (the England players) were higher profile than we were and I remember them not being particularly happy about the whole thing. I can understand why, big schedules for those guys, big superstars and theyre almost being paraded by an American businessman (acting in this way).

There is of course a more sinister side to this Caribbean jolly. It was an all-expenses paid holiday with a bit of semi-serious cricket for Middlesex, but given what we now know about Stanford, whose money actually paid those expenses?

Nobody blames the players, they were just fulfilling a schedule handed to them by organisers. The real questions should be aimed at the governing bodies that associated their talent with Stanford.

It affected peoples lives and you felt bad admits Murtagh. I guess he used that money to pay for us to fly out there, to be put up in the nice five star resort, so now thinking back its the first time you realise it was normal peoples money and their life savings, money they never saw again.

We relied on the ECB to have done their due diligence and worked out if it was the right thing to do.

As Joyce succinctly adds: Thats where the ECB have egg on their face, getting into bed with a massive crook.

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Allen Stanford - the American crook who bought cricket's soul in the Caribbean - The Irish Times

Royal Caribbean (RCL) - Get Royal Caribbean Group Report and Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) - Get Carnival Corporation Report endlessly attempt to one-up each other. If one cruise line adds indoor skydiving, the other one installs a roller coaster. We've seen aqua theaters, laser tag, skating rinks, bumper cars, and an ongoing attempt to squeeze bigger and better water slides onto a cruise ship.

It's an arms race that makes sense because Royal Caribbean and Carnival both cater to families. If a better water slide, a Broadway show (Royal Caribbean), or having restaurants created by Food Network personality Guy Fieri (Carnival) gets people to book, then those innovations make sense.

Royal Caribbean and Carnival operate like Disney World and Universal Studios.It's an endless series of new ideas and innovations that pushes the other stretch the reality of the experiencesthat can be offered on a cruise ship.

If one didn't have the other, cruise passengers probably would not have virtual reality experiences, bars that move between multiple decks, another bar that's run by robot bartenders, innovative escape rooms, and so many other things.

This war for customers has also led to a bigger is better mentality. Royal Caribbean has led the way with its Oasis Class ships a five-ship fleet which will add Wonder of the Seas -- the biggest cruise ship in the world -- later this year. Carnival has been slow to answer as its largest class, the Excel Class, only has one member, Carnival Mardi Gras,

That's going to change (relatively) soon and it ups the ante as Royal Caribbean works on Icon of the Seas, the first member of its latest class of ships.

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Carnival Mardi Gras entered service for the cruise line in July when the company came back from the pandemic. It has been sailing out of Port Canaveral, Fla., since its debut.

"Mardi Gras has been five years in the making and today's arrival is a historic milestone for our company not to mention a truly emotional moment for everyone here at Carnival Cruise Line," said Carnival President Christine Duffy in a June press release. "This ship offers so many innovations and ways for our guests to choose fun that we are certain that she will quickly become a guest favorite. And as we look forward to our restart in guest operations, Mardi Gras' arrival is symbolic of the excitement and anticipation we have about the future at Carnival Cruise Line."

When fully operational, Mardi Gras carries 1,750 crew members and up to 6,500 passengers. The ship, Carnival's largest, offers "the first shipboard version of the hit TV show "Family Feud," and dine in more than two dozen restaurants with venues from Guy Fieri, Emeril Lagasse, Rudi Sodiman and the line's Chief Fun Officer Shaquille O'Neal.

Now, Carnival's best-in-the-fleet ship has two sister vessels that will begin sailing soon.

"This fall, more excitement arrives when Carnival Celebration arrives home to PortMiami. Carnivals next Excel-class ship will share all the fun guests are enjoying on Mardi Gras, like BOLT (the on-board roller coaster), plus some exclusive features as well," Carnival shared in a press release.

The third Excel-class ship, Carnival Jubilee, will be the first in the class to not sail out of Florida. It will operate out of Galveston, Texas, beginning in the fall of 2023.

Royal Caribbean has moved its Oasis class Allure of the Seas to Galveston to compete. In addition, Wonder of the Seas will sail from Fort Lauderdale beginning in March before it moves to home ports in Barcelona, Spain; and Rome.

Royal Caribbean President Michael Bayley hyped the new ship in a press release.

Along with taking the revolutionary Oasis Class ships to a new level of wonder, innovation and adventure, Wonder sets the stage for the spring and summer vacations families and all travelers alike are looking forward to in the new year," he said, "The combination of brand-new features and favorites that span thrills, entertainment,dining and nightlife is unparalleled, and its what will make our latest and most innovative ship the worlds newest wonder and the ultimate vacation in the Caribbean and Europe.

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Carnival Tries to Answer Royal Caribbean's Biggest Move - TheStreet

Shares of Royal Caribbean Group RCL, -4.76% fell 1.5% in premarket trading Friday, after the cruise operator reported a wider-than-expected fourth-quarter loss and revenue that missed expectations again, as the omicron variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 led to cruise cancellations and service disruptions. The net loss narrowed to $1.36 billion, or $5.33 a share, from $1.37 billion, or $6.09 a share, in the year-ago period. Excluding nonrecurring items, the adjusted loss per share narrowed to $4.78 from $5.02, but was wider than the FactSet loss consensus of $3.92. Revenue rose to $982.2 million from $34.1 million, but was below the FactSet consensus of $1.04 billion. That marks the sixth-straight quarter the company has missed revenue expectations. The company had started gradually resuming cruise operations in December 2020. Given the impact of the omicron variant, the company expects to operate about 95% of its planned capacity in the first quarter, and expects to be cash flow positive in late spring. "Following a record U.S. black Friday and cyber weekend, the spread of the Omicron variant resulted in a softening in booking volumes and an increase in near-term cancellations," said Chief Financial Officer Naftali Holtz. "Similar to our experience following Delta, we expect bookings to materially increase as we get further beyond the peak of cases." The stock has dropped 10.6% over the past three months through Thursday, while the S&P 500 SPX, +0.52% has lost 4.3%.

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Royal Caribbean stock falls after wider-than-expected loss, another revenue miss - MarketWatch