Category Archives: Caribbean

Guests going aboard Royal Caribbean's cruise ships from Dec 2 onwards will be informed to take an antigen rapid test (ART) at Raffles City Shopping Centre on the day of sailing before their departure at Marina Bay Cruise Centre.

According to Royal Caribbean's website, all guests are currently required to take an ART test at the cruise terminal before they are allowed to board the ship.

Respondingto AsiaOne's queries, Royal Caribbean's spokesperson said on Wednesday (Nov 17)that the change in testing location is part of their efforts to "improve the overall guest experience" and "simplifying the check-in and pre-cruise testing process".

"Guests will also no longer have to wait for their ART results and can quickly swab and enjoy the mall, as they will receive their results via SMS," the company's spokesperson added.

In a two-part TikTok video series titled S*** About Royal Caribbean That People Don't Care About with over a million views since it was posted on Monday Yvonne Ling showed the "three-hour wait" at the cruise terminal before boarding the Quantum of the Seas.

Things to note before you book a trip on a cruise to nowhere ##travel ##cruise ##royalcarribean ##singapore

Documenting her cruise to nowhere experience, the TikToker also showed there were time limits for specific amenities. These include the pool, bumper cars, and having "tens of couples staring at you" while relaxing in the jacuzzi.

Comments in the videos have been mixed. Some netizens appreciate Ling for "speaking the truth", while othersfelt that their cruise to nowhere holiday experiences are "not as bad" as what the TikToker had portrayed in her videos.

Royal Caribbean told AsiaOne that the health and safety of their guests and crew is "top priority". The cruise operator has implemented health and safety protocols onboard all sailings, such as sailing at reduced capacityand ensuring social distancing measures are adhered to at all times.

Itsspokesperson added: "Cruising with Royal Caribbean has been a safe, adventure-filled getaway for our guests, even amidst evolving local regulations, and we have seen many guests return again and again."

In another TikTok video shared on Tuesday (Nov 16) with over 35,000 views Ling showed "the awesome s*** about Royal Caribbean that everyone talks about".

"Those who complain say I negative [sic], here's the good part la hor, stop complaining. It's a great vacation," Ling wrote in the accompanying caption.

ALSO READ:'Hours and hours of queuing': TikToker shares what her cruise to nowhere vacation is really like

chingshijie@asiaone.com

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Royal Caribbean responds to TikToker's claim of 'waiting 3 hours to get onboard' for cruise to nowhere - AsiaOne

It's not your imagination, there are less suites on Royal Caribbean's next new Oasis Class ship than older Oasis Class ships.

As soon as Royal Caribbean began opening up bookings for Wonder of the Seas, many guests began noticing there were less suite cabins to choose from than you would find on other Oasis Class ships.

Considering how lucrative suites are for the cruise line, as well as how in-demand suites can be for passengers, it seemed a strange decision to change the amount of suite cabins.

Royal Caribbean's executives recently talked about why there are less suites on Wonder of the Seas.

One big change on Wonder of the Seas is the ship will have an eighth neighborhood, dedicated to suite guests.

The Suites neighborhood on Wonder of the Seas is an area that doesn't exist on other Royal Caribbean Oasis Class ships.

Read more: Wonder of the Seas neighborhoods tour

In order to make room for the new amenities suite guests will enjoy, the amount of suites had to be cut back so there could be room for it all.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed, explained to travel agents during a meeting onboard Odyssey of the Seas that ship designers needed to take space from somewhere to be able to make the new neighborhood a reality, "We are going to have a private deck area for our suite guests and we're dedicating more room for our suite guests, which unfortunately kind of cuts into the amount of suites we can have."

The benefit of having less suites is the exclusivity suite guests enjoy will be even higher on Wonder of the Seas.

Ms. Freed also noted that unfortunately the swapping of Allure of the Seas to Wonder of the Seas in Europe in summer 2022 resulted in some guests being left without an available room, "We had to unfortunately downgrade some people who are in top suite categories because we had fewer suites on the line there. But that's all been sorted out now to the best of our ability."

Something else anyone that books suites on a cruise ship typically may notice is that there is much more demand for them than ever.

Royal Caribbean Group CEO and Chairman Richard Fain said the cruise line is seeing big time demand for suites, "We are selling our top categories quickly."

"So while the ships are going less full than we would like, we're oversold in the Star Class and the top categories."

In fact, on Royal Caribbean's 274 day world cruise, Ms. Freed mentionedall of the suites have either been deposited or booked.

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Why did Royal Caribbean put fewer suites on Wonder of the Seas? - Royal Caribbean Blog

90 Day Fianc, but with a tropical twist! TLCs latest series Love in Paradise: The Caribbean, A 90 Day Story puts a spin on the franchise. Instead of featuring Americans who fall in love with foreigners from all over the world, 90 Day Fianc: Love in Paradise features Americans who specifically are in romantic relationships with people who are from the Caribbean. In addition to the difficulty of navigating long-distance relationships, the couples also face an added obstacle amid the coronavirus pandemic and fans are wondering which couples have split or are still together after filming. WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW!

Season 1 of 90 Day Fianc:Love in Paradise, which was previously made available to stream on discovery+, introduced four new couples to the franchise: Aryanna and Sherlon, Amber and Daniel, Steven and Martine and Key and Mark.

Aryanna is 25 years old and is from Quincy, Illinois. She met Sherlon while she was on vacation in Jamaica with her sister. Aryanna and Sherlon crossed paths when she and her sister went on a boat tour that was driven by Sherlon. I was in Jamaica for only two more days and I spent that entire time with Sherlon. He made me feel beautiful and sexy in a way that I have never really felt before, she said in her confessional. After returning home from their fling, Aryanna learned she was pregnant. During the season, Aryanna traveled back to Jamaica while pregnant with her mother and sister so she and Sherlon could figure out what their next steps are in order to be together as a family.

Amber is 30 years old from Seminole, Florida, and Daniel is a 23-year-old who is originally from Venezuela. He was living in Jaco, Costa Rica, when he met Amber, who was traveling with a friend. Daniel and his roommate approached Amber and her friend at a bar, and Amber and Daniel hooked up that night. As I continued to travel, he contacted me every single day and the last trip I made to Costa Rica, I got engaged, she said in her confessional, showing off a modest silver band. She returned to Costa Rica one last time before their K-1 visa process came to an end, so she could help Daniel prepare for his interview.

Martine is 26 years old and hails from Miami, Florida. She met Steven, a 33-year-old DJ from St. Thomas, Barbados, while they were both on a cruise with their respective groups of friends. One night on the cruise, Martine recalled twerking with her friends when Steven came up to dance behind her and the rest was history. From then on, we were unseparable on the cruise, across the board I was just, I was obsessed, she gushed in her confessional.

Mark is 39 years old and from Huntington Beach, California, and Key is a 35-year-old personal trainer from Argentina originally, but lives in Bocas del Toro, Panama. They met in Bocas del Toro nine years prior. At the time, he was running a hostel and she was a guest. After a passionate night of dancing, they spent two weeks together before Key went back to Argentina. Several months later, she told Mark that she would be checking herself into an outpatient rehab program after a years-long battle with ketamine addiction. He immediately moved to Argentina to support her through her recovery. But their language barrier, as Key only spoke Spanish and Mark only spoke English, plus their living arrangements with her family made them drift apart. After six months of dating, they split and Mark returned to the United States. Eleven months before they started filming, Key reached out to Mark and they reconnected. We picked up right where we left off, Mark gushed in his confessional.

Keep scrolling below to find out if Aryanna and Sherlon, Amber and Daniel, Martine and Steven and Mark and Key are still together.

90 Day Fianc: Love in Paradise premieres on TLC Monday, November 15 at 9 p.m. ET.

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Spoilers! Find Out Which 90 Day Fiance Love in Paradise: The Caribbean Couples Are Still Together: Aryanna, Sherlon and More - In Touch Weekly

Jeffeary Miskiri at one of his latest restaurants, Creole on 14th. Photograph by M. Shonell Photography.

On any given day, Jeffeary MiskiriChef Jeff to mostis ready to spring into action. You might find the 34-year-old restaurateur jumping into the kitchen of Po Boy Jim, his flagship on H Street, Northeast, which turns out New Orleansstyle sandwiches and gumbo. Or serving tables at his newer venture, Creole on 14th, in Columbia Heights. (He also drops by when a VIP appearsthe latest was Sasha Obama.) Short a bartender, he can mix a hurricane on a whim.

Miskiris hard work has paid off, even at a time when independent restaurants are struggling all over the country. In October, the Takoma Park nativewho in the past has prepared fitness-focused meals for former NFL star Vernon Davis and acted as a private chef for the Jamaican ambassadoropened Suga & Spice, a cozy Southern/Caribbean eatery in Hyattsville that pays tribute to his familys Louisiana and Caribbean roots. Over the next year, Miskiri Hospitality Group will triple in size, going from 80 to 200-plus employees, with the opening of five new restaurants. Hes planning a fast-casual Po Boy Jim in Columbia; Miss Toyas Creole House, a huge Southern spot in Silver Spring; and two adjoining eateries in whats long been known as a food desert east of the Anacostia River. The health-minded cafe Miss Toyas Soul Juice and the comfort-food restaurant Miss Toyas Southern Cajun Kitchena rare sit-down restaurant in the Penn Branch neighborhoodwill open next year in the Shops at Penn Branch, a revitalization project from developer Jair Lynch. Someday, Miskiri hopes to expand the empire beyond Washington.

The youngest restaurateur to sit on the board of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, he got an early start. At ten, he was frying nuggets at McDonalds, where his aunt was a supervisor under one of the chains first Black franchisees in Washington. It really surprised me to meet an African American owner of a McDonalds, says Miskiri, who notes that the early experience influenced how he operates now. The structure, the uniform, the policies in place, the code of ethics, getting food out in a timely mannerthat stuff stays with you.

As a teenager, he started cooking at his familys catering company, Taste of Caribbean. But Miskiri, the second-eldest of 30 grandchildren, got his real start cooking at family gatherings: huge buffets that catered to their Southern and Caribbean roots with jambalaya, jerk chicken, plantains, shrimp and grits, and gumbo. Everyone had their role and responsibilityI was the chef, he says. My culinary training was the family.

This article appears in the November 2021 issue of Washingtonian.

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Food Editor

Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia Universitys MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.

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Chef Jeff Miskiri Open Southern and Caribbean Restaurants Around DC - Washingtonian

The characters of the popular swashbuckler film Pirates of the Caribbean are brimming with diverse and multifaceted personalities. From the clever yet mischievous Captain Jack Sparrow to the brave and cunning Elizabeth Swann, each character is iconic in their own ways.

As the story develops, these characters have undergone major changes and maturity. In this list are characters with their own lines contradicting their personalities.

Davy Jones is known to be one of the most terrifying villains in the movie. His tentacled face and sinister spirit only add to the eeriness. He is cold, cruel, and has an insatiable taste for violence. He is bound to the Flying Dutchman because of an age-old curse.

But this line above completely opposes his character. It means that he cared for the sailors who died at sea. There is still the human inside him.

As an astronomer and horologist, Carina knows a lot about science and is an expert in many things. This kind of woman, in the olden times, is considered by men as a witch, but she is just actually a bright and talented person.

Being stubborn and sarcastic comes naturally for intelligent people. This line, however, also proved that she can also accept being wrong.

Henry is the epitome of being his fathers son. He shares a lot of good traits with Will Turner and they both are willing to sacrifice themselves for the ones they love. He literally exudes kindness and love.

It is obvious that he feels so much love for Carina despite the fact that he mentioned this line. Henry is the kind of guy who always cares for others.

Of all the characters in the film, Will is the most honest and genuine person with so much hero potential. He values honor and dignity, and he keeps his promises as if his life depends on them.

Jack Sparrow is his total opposite, and wanting to be like Jack is like a death wish. But of course, he used Jacks wittiness as his last resort to free his father.

Everyone knows this is a lie. Jack Sparrow loves the Black Pearl so much he risked everything to take it back. Its his most precious possession, and seeing the ship sink and crush under the depths of the ocean just broke his heart.

He probably just said this to ease the pain and trick his mind into thinking its just a piece of wood.

Her character development in Pirates of the Caribbean started as a young, nave girl who always seeks for help and slowly turned into a fearless and cunning pirate. At first, she was only fascinated by the idea of it but when she fell in love with Will and discovered his true nature, things started to change.

The people hated pirates and she knew that pursuing a relationship with one will take away her position and her familys honor.

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Pirates Of The Caribbean: Quotes From Characters That Contradict Their Personality - FandomWire

Guests onboard Oasis Of the Seas have been advised to stay away from the French side of St. Maarten during their cruise this week. The island has seen a fair share of political unrest recently, with roads blocked and protests all week. Oasis of the Seas is currently based in Miami, Florida, sailing 7-day cruises from the worlds cruise capital.

According to a letter distributed onboard the Oasis of the Seas, the Island of St. Martin is suffering from political unrest to the point where the guests are advised to avoid the French part of the island. The vessel is making a call to the island on November 11 as part of a seven-day cruise that departed Miami on November 7.

St. Martin is the French part of the dual country island, also known as Collectivit de Saint-Martin, whereas the Dutch part of the island is called Sint Maarten.

The letter guests received onboard Oasis of the Seas said the following:

Our guests health and safety is always our first priority and as we make our way into port. We wanted to inform you that the French side of St. Maarten is currently experiencing political protests causing some disruptions and roadblocks. During tomorrows visit. We strongly recommend that all guests stay on the Dutch side of the island to ensure everyone is able to make it back to the ship safely and on time. Guests with shore excursions booked to the French side will be receiving additional tour specific details from our Shorex Team.

Protestors on the French side of the island, in particular the area around the working-class neighborhoods of Sandy Ground and Quartier dOrlans, have thrown up roadblocks in the area after infrastructure rebuilding has gone much slower than expected after Hurricane Irma in 2017.

In Sandy Ground, the protestors demanded the reopening of a post office, installing sidewalks, repairing the sewage system, constructing a fruit and vegetable and fish market, installing a garbage room, and broadband Internet.

Tension eased on Wednesday, November 10, after life on the island was shaken for eight days by a social movement whose spokesmen were received by the government, after the restoration of traffic on a major road blocked by the protesters.

While guests onboard the 5,592-passenger Oasis of the Seas would have been perfectly safe to visit the French side of the island, the roadblocks during the protests could have meant that guests returned to the ship with major delays.

Its only the first month of Caribbean cruises for the 226,838 gross ton Oasis of the Seas. The former largest cruise ship in the world restarted this year on September 6 from Cape Liberty Cruise Port in New Jersey. She sailed on a series of Bahamas Cruises and just finished her repositioning from New Jersey to Miami.

On November 3, the cruise ship sailed on her first cruise from Miami, a 4-day cruise to Nassau and Perfect Day At CocoCay. The 7-day voyage that sailed on November 7 included ports of call to CocoCay, Saint Thomas Island, and now Philipsburg, St Maarten.

Also Read: All Royal Caribbean Oasis-class Cruise Ships Have Resumed Operations

Oasis of the Seas will have Miami as its homeport until the end of April 2022. The ship will be sailing various cruises that include 3- and 4-day Perfect Day and Bahamas cruises, and 7-day Western- and Eastern Caribbean cruises. The Western Caribbean cruises will call in Cozumel, Roatan Island, Costa Maya, and a call at Royal Caribbeans private island Perfect Day at CocoCay.

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Royal Caribbean Advises Guests to Avoid Tensions in St. Martin - Cruise Hive

SEATTLE, Nov. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Holland America Line's new Rotterdam departs today, Nov. 5, at 5 p.m. EST from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on its inaugural Caribbean cruise a roundtrip five-day sailing that visits Bimini, Bahamas, and spends two days at Half Moon Cay, the cruise line's award-winning private Bahamian island. The ship arrived at Port Everglades Nov. 3 following its maiden transatlantic voyage that set sail from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Oct. 20.

Click to Tweet: Hello, Florida! @HALcruises Rotterdam departs today on inaugural Caribbean #cruise! Four Holland America Line ships to sail in the region through spring 2022, all roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale & @PortEverglades.

Rotterdammarks the second ship to return to Florida cruising and the Caribbean for Holland America Line since the industrywide pause began 20 months ago. During November, the ship will be joined at Port Everglades by Pinnacle Class sister-ship Nieuw Statendam and Eurodam, which also kick off their Caribbean seasons. Nieuw Amsterdam began Caribbean cruising from Fort Lauderdale Oct. 23.

"We have been awaiting our return to the Caribbean for a long time, and having Rotterdam and our other ships restart operations out of Fort Lauderdale is an incredible moment for our company," said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. "Rotterdam's maiden voyage from Europe was a huge success and we're getting a lot of positive feedback from guests about the ship."

The cruise line celebrated Rotterdam's Caribbean departure with fanfare to welcome guests on board, and Antorcha was on hand to greet embarking passengers.

Following the Nov. 5 cruise, Rotterdam will sail in the Caribbean through April, with all departures roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale. The cruises range from six to 11 days and span the region on southern, eastern, western and tropical itineraries. Guests looking for a longer getaway can embark on a Collectors' Voyage combined back-to-back itineraries that offer an in-depth exploration covering more than one area.

Every Caribbean cruise includes a call at Half Moon Cay, rated the number-one port of call in the Caribbean by the line's guests. This quaint sanctuary has evolved into a playground for cruisers and features the finest white-sand beaches, two-story villas and private cabanas,dining venues like Lobster Shack,a children's waterpark and a variety of fun-filled toursfor nature lovers, adventurous travelers and explorers.

Holland America Line has been homeporting from Port Everglades since the 1990s. Operationally, each ship visit directly contributes $364,000 to the local economy in provisioning (fuel, food, flowers, piano tuning, supplies), port taxes and spending. Holland America Line works with nearly 100 local vendors who supply the company and its ships with goods and services.

Throughout the years, Holland America Line has been actively involved with more than 30 nonprofits in South Florida through giving, shipboard lunches and cruise donations, including Seafarers' House, Henderson Behavioral Health, Coast Guard Women's Leadership Initiative, Symphony of the Americas, The Opera Society and more.

AboutRotterdam Rotterdamhas the highly successful amenities and innovations introduced with her sister ships, includingthe 270-degree surround screen World Stage, Rudi's Sel de Mer restaurant and Grand Dutch Caf.The ship introduces the Half Moon Bar, an immersive experience looking at the history of Holland America Line and cruising through the lens of a cocktail.

Delivering the best of everything, Rotterdam celebrates live music with a collection of world-class performances each night fromLincoln Center Stage and B.B. King's Blues Club to Rolling Stone Rock Room and Billboard Onboard.

Throughout the ship, Rotterdam showcases Holland America Line hallmarks that drive one of the highest repeat rates in the industry:exquisite cuisine guided by eight of theworld's leading chefs; gracious, award-winning service; a museum-quality art collection valued at more than $4 million; and superbly appointedstaterooms and suites, including family and single accommodations.

Rotterdamis the seventh ship to bear the name for Holland America Line.

For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.

Editor's note: Photos areavailable at https://www.cruiseimagelibrary.com/c/q4gmpnsi.

# # #

Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook and the Holland America Blog. Access all social media outlets via the home page at hollandamerica.com.

About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)]Holland America Line has been exploring the world since 1873 and was the first cruise line to offer adventures to Alaska and the Yukon nearly 75 years ago. Its fleet of premium ships visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world, offering an ideal mid-sized ship experience. A third Pinnacle-class ship, Rotterdam, joined the fleet in July 2021.

The leader in premium cruising, Holland America Line's ships feature innovative initiatives and a diverse range of enriching experiences focused on destination exploration and personalized travel. The best live music at sea fills each evening at Music Walk, and dining venues feature exclusive selections from Holland America Line's esteemed Culinary Council of world-famous chefs.

CONTACT: Erik Elvejord PHONE: 800-637-5029, 206-626-9890 EMAIL: [emailprotected]

SOURCE Holland America Line

http://www.hollandamerica.com

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Holland America Line's Rotterdam Kicks Off its Inaugural Season of Caribbean Cruising with Nov. 5 Departure from Fort Lauderdale - PRNewswire

Author: Sophie Hares

As hotels grab prime seafront land along Barbados west coast, the road through Mullins offers an increasingly rare window to the sea with unhindered views over the blond beach and shallow Caribbean waters beyond.

But for Kimberley Agard, who chairs the local district emergency organization, its this proximity to the sea that puts Mullins at risk of massive damage should a tsunami wave surge across the beach road to destroy homes and businesses.

Now, after the townhall meetings, training and evacuation planning she helped organize, Mullins and the 5 kms stretch north is the first area in Barbados to rank as Tsunami Ready, joining 62 communities across the Caribbean from Haiti to Grenada.

Because Barbados is not an island that has had tsunamis before, its not really been in peoples mind as a big risk to us, says Agard, who works for the Barbados Statistical Service.

Some people dont think about things until they are affected by them.

While tsunamis are not common in the Caribbean the last major one hit 75 years ago people in Mullins were well aware of the impact of storm surges and quick to get on board with the Tsunami Ready program, she says.

A tall sign on the main highway now instructs motorists and pedestrians to head to higher ground if they feel an earthquake or if the sea level suddenly changes. Others point the way to evacuation routes and assembly points, says Agard.

Tsunami experts say Aprils La Soufriere volcanic eruption in St. Vincent and the Grenadines has reinforced the need for Caribbean countries to prepare not just for hurricanes, but also for other less frequent, potentially deadly hazards.

Despite growing recognition of tsunami risks, the COVID-19 pandemic has shaved the amounts available to help countries in the cash-strapped region better protect vulnerable, low-lying coastal areas, they says.

Funding overall has been deflected more or less to fight COVID and therefore there is a reduction in the terms of the funding available to support tsunami-related initiatives, says Alison Brome, program officer for coastal hazards at UNESCOs Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

Donors are recognizing that there are other hazards that can impact and I think the La Soufriere volcanic eruption has highlighted the multi-hazard needs of the region.

Ensuring communities are Tsunami Ready and take part in the annual Caribe Wave the worlds biggest tsunami evacuation drill is core to better protecting the Caribbean which has built much of its critical infrastructure such as airports and schools in coastal areas.

For Raul Salazar, chief of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean, tsunami risk awareness needs to be higher due to the amount of urban and tourism development in vulnerable areas.

Tsunamis deserve to be a critical part of disaster risk reduction policies and plans given their massive human impact and the toll they take on development, says Salazar.

Multi-hazard and integrated disaster risk governance, planning and national plans implementation is the only way to address tsunamis.

Pressure is now on to ensure all vulnerable Caribbean communities are prepared for tsunamis by 2030, says Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade, manager of the US National Weather Services Caribbean Tsunami Warning Program.

Its an audacious goal because it takes local champions, national champions, regional champions, and funding, says Puerto Rico-based von Hillebrandt-Andrade.

Theres no country in the Caribbean that can say Im safe from tsunamis, as that doesnt exist. When the next tsunami hits, if countries arent ready, the devastation could even worse than theyve seen in hurricanes and earthquakes.

MIX AND MATCH

Tsunami preparations are increasingly being integrated into existing disaster risk reduction planning and tapping into multi-hazard early warning systems, say experts.

Alerts on WhatsApp, social media and the CAP.CAP emergency app can warn people of tsunamis as well as hurricanes or floods. If technology is knocked out, church and school bells, police sirens and hotel fire alarms can be used to warn people to run to higher ground, says Brome.

While COVID restrictions meant this years Caribe Wave was held virtually, over 400,000 people still took part in the event which gives communities from 48 countries a chance to run through their tsunami evacuation plans.

For Andria Grosvenor, deputy executive director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Association, taking a multi-hazard approach is essential to better protecting communities in the region.

Developing technology to monitor both tsunamis and longer-term sea-level rises, for example, would save costs and improve early warning, says Grosvenor, who worries inadequate tsunami sea-level monitoring gear is increasing vulnerabilities.

In Mullins, Agard is confident people would react quickly if a tsunami hit and says the preparation process may have also better equipped the community to deal with crises such as storms.

Knowledge is key in making people aware of the disasters or hazards we can experience, she says.

Were praying that nothing happens, but if it does, were quite equipped and ready to handle it.

Originally posted here:

Caribbean beach communities strive to shut out tsunami risk - World - ReliefWeb

Prime Minister Mottley and U.S. Vice President Harris have a private conversation on the balcony of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building overlooking the Washington Monument and National Mall on October 13, 2021. (Courtesy of the Prime Ministers Office)

When Neighbors Work Together, the Community Benefits

By Ambassador Linda S. Taglialatela

Prime Minister Mottleys October 13 meeting with Vice President Harris represented a historic first: The first female Prime Minister of Barbados joining the first female Vice President of the United States at the White House. Their discussion on COVID-19, economic recovery in the Caribbean, and climate change set the stage for what has been a busy month for both the Prime Minister and the Biden-Harris Administration. But what has struck me most, as we continue to fight our way out of this pandemic, is the slow return of the once familiar: President Biden and Prime Minister Mottley joining hands at the climate meetings in Glasgow; Vice President Harris sharing a close conversation with Prime Minister Mottley overlooking the Washington Monument. Like neighbors on the same street, we are coming together again, and when neighbors work together, the whole community benefits.

The United States donated a second tranche of 70,200 Pfizer vaccines last week to the people of Barbados, offering thousands more Barbadians protection against COVID-19. It pains me to read the reports of lives lost to the virus and concerns me that as infections continue, the virus has more opportunities to mutate. As with smallpox, measles, and polio in decades past, the fastest way out of this pandemic is through vaccination. USAID has supported the Ministry of Health with pop-up clinics across the island. It also announced US$2.5 million in additional regional assistance to fund equipment, information systems, and storage capacity to support the vaccination effort. The United States will continue to work alongside our partners PAHO, UNICEF, CARPHA, and CARICOM to mitigate the effects of COVID-19, and Heaven willing, eliminate the virus all together.

Prime Minister Mottley and Vice President Harris discussed the need to accelerate the COVID-19 economic recovery. With the rollout of the vaccination effort in the United States, U.S. tourists have accounted for the greatest percentage of holiday visitors to Barbados so far this year. When air passenger arrivals topped 10,000 in July, Americans accounted for 43.3% of those arrivals, more than the UK and Canada combined. Beyond these important tourism dollars, the United States remains committed to strengthening bilateral and regional economic ties throughout the Caribbean. The United National Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which Barbados hosted last month, confirmed the United States remains the largest investor in small island developing states. And when President Biden hosted his G-7 counterparts to discuss global infrastructure development last week, he welcomed Prime Minister Mottley as one of only eight other invited participants from around the globe.

When it comes to climate change, the decisions of the worlds biggest economies have outsized effects on the worlds smallest countries. Thats why President Biden invited Barbados to the G-7 discussion. We hear Prime Minister Mottleys call that national solutions to global problems do not work. While President Biden is committed to cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 50-52 percent by 2030 and reaching a 100% carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035, he is likewise committed to working with countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and strengthening their economies to reduce that risk. But ambition is clearly not enough. New emission reduction and finance targets are just the first steps in addressing the crisis.

What is clear from the last month, though, is that there is a renewed effort, perhaps helped by the protection offered by vaccines that allows for face-to-face engagement, that Barbados and the United States are committed to addressing these crises together. Our work together as neighbors and friends benefits the entire Caribbean community. As President Lyndon Johnson said to Prime Minister Errol Barrow in welcoming him to the White House in 1968, We arehappier and wiser from even the briefest visit with you. I would say to you now, our dear friend and neighbor, that the same holds true more than 50 years later.

By U.S. Embassy Bridgetown | 8 November, 2021 | Topics: News, Press Releases

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U.S. Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, and the OECS - US Embassy in Barbados

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY In a bit of positive news for Upper Manhattan, a Dominican restaurant in Washington Heights was just named one of the 18 best Caribbean eateries in New York City.

Malecon's location at 4141 Broadway (near West 175th Street) in Washington Heights was named on Eater NY's recent list of "Where to Find Superior Caribbean Food Around New York."

The list featured 18 notable Caribbean restaurants "or venues with notable Caribbean-leaning dishes including selections from Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guyana, Belize, Trinidad, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela."

Here's what the reporters from Eater NY said about Malecon:

"Malecon is perhaps the city's most well-known mini-chain of all-day Dominican establishments. The Washington Heights location opens for breakfast at 8:30 a.m. serving mangu (mashed green plantains) with longaniza, eggs and salami, and stays open until 2 a.m. on weekends, offering an almost infinite variety of Dominican specialties. The signature item here, however, is the rotisserie chicken; it's slowly spit-roasted to allow for tender flesh and stretchy, supple skin."

Malecon also has a location on the Upper West Side.

The restaurant calls itself the "Kings of Roast Chicken."

You can read Eater's full list of the 18 best Carribian restaurants in New York City on Eater's website.

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Washington Heights Eatery Named Among Best Caribbean Spots In NYC - Patch.com