Category Archives: Caribbean

MU Health Care nurse Kaleeagh Thomas journey to treating patients in the neurosciences intensive care unit began as a child in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago. She helped care for her great-grandmother and aunt as they dealt with serious illnesses.

Helping my great-grandmother and aunt when they were sick made me aware that working in health care was my calling, she said.

After working as an ICU nurse in her home country for eight years, Thomas wanted to further her career and follow her calling overseas. She signed a contract with a placement agency, hoping to become a nurse in the United States.

She did her research and selected MU Health Care as her top choice.

I wanted a hospital and a place to live that would be family inclined, good for me, my husband and our son, she said.

Thomas moved to Columbia in December 2020, and her husband and their 10-year-old son followed her in March. Her husband found work as an electrician and her son quickly adapted to a new environment. Thomas said the family likes the peaceful atmosphere in Columbia and enjoys exploring the areas many trails.

At MU Health Cares University Hospital, Thomas cares for people with serious brain and spinal cord conditions. The unit practices nurse-led multidisciplinary rounds with neuro intensivists, physicians assistants, advanced practice registered nurses, neurosciences pharmacists, registered nurses and respiratory therapists collaborating to provide the best care.

Thomas said her favorite part of the job is interacting with patients.

Getting to know patients and making them feel comfortable is one of the best parts of this job, she said. I've been in situations where I've been uncomfortable, and I can relate to that feeling.

Thomas said she hopes to continue working for MU Health Care beyond her current two-year commitment. MU Health Care offers employee tuition discounts, and Thomas plans to take advantage of that benefit to further her education and skills so she can become a family nurse practitioner.

Staying in Columbia also would mean making a home in a place the family has come to enjoy.

What I can say about Missouri is that the people are warm and welcoming, she said. I could say that for sure, and I really do appreciate that.

Read this article:

Nurse Follows Her Calling from the Caribbean to Missouri - muhealth.org

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a halt to the expansion of Latin Americas middle class and pushed millions back into poverty. Reversing this pattern requires addressing the regions vulnerability to economic shocks and strengthening countries resilience.

WASHINGTON, DC Global poverty rose last year for the first time since 1998 as the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic pushed an additional 97 million people below the international threshold of $1.90 per day. At first glance, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) appears to have fared relatively well: three million newly poor people as a result of the pandemic, compared to 58 million in South Asia. But poverty in LAC demands more attention than the headline statistic suggests.

Subscriber Exclusive

The pandemic affected economic growth in LAC more significantly than in any other developing region last year, with GDP contracting by 6.5%. Although the region is expected to rebound strongly with 5.2% growth this year, the effect on the poor could be delayed, owing not only to relative vaccine shortages but also to traditionally slower declines in poverty relative to increases in per capita income. Moreover, those without access to the digital economy could experience additional erosion in future earnings from a looming learning and productivity crisis caused by some of the worlds longest lockdowns and school closures.

Even before the pandemic, most LAC countries were experiencing anemic growth and a slow transition from middle- to high-income status. COVID-19 likely will extend this middle-income trap. In its recently released annual country classifications by income level, the World Bank identified seven economies globally that dropped to a lower income category. Two, Panama and Belize, are in LAC. And countries in the region that remained in the same income category as last year saw greater divergence, rather than convergence, with wealthier economies. Specifically, the average upper-middle-income country in LAC moved 10.4% further away from achieving high-income country status in 2020 than in 2019, compared to the average global divergence of 3.8%.

Digging deeper into the data reveals important nuances and heterogeneity concerning pandemic-induced poverty and vulnerability in LAC, especially in terms of geographic distribution and demographic composition.

Geographically, recent World Bank findings show that Brazils success in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on the poor in 2020 altered the overall regional picture. Rescue measures lifted a net 14 million people out of poverty in Brazil (measured by the $5.50 per day poverty line used to assess upper- and lower-middle-income countries). But, excluding Brazil, the largest regional economy, LAC recorded a net increase of 13.7 million new poor. Even in Brazil, policymakers must carefully balance the trade-offs between sustaining and withdrawing extraordinary liquidity support.

In terms of demographic composition, COVID-19 put an end to an impressive period of economic growth that, beginning in the early 2000s, expanded the middle class and reduced regional poverty by half. A majority of Latin Americans and Caribbeans were middle class in 2018, but the pandemic has now left the majority vulnerable.

There is a silver lining. Consistent with global trends, much of LACs new poor or new vulnerable appear to be better educated, more urban, and have better access to basic services relative to the existing poor. This profile should position them to regain their footing quickly as the pandemic subsides.

Enjoy unlimited access to the ideas and opinions of the worlds leading thinkers, including weekly long reads, book reviews, topical collections, and interviews; The Year Ahead annual print magazine; the complete PS archive; and more forless than $9 a month.

Subscribe Now

With the international communitys help, LAC countries must work to ensure a sustained recovery for the poor. For starters, expanding vaccine access will give several countries the upper hand in the ongoing tug-of-war between sluggish vaccination rates and new outbreaks or variants. The regions poor, prone to higher infection risks because they tend to be employed in informal, in-person, and close-proximity jobs, stand to benefit from such efforts.

More broadly, a vulnerability-based approach to understanding and tackling poverty is needed. The uneven distributional impact of the COVID-19 crisis has confirmed once again that, despite having partly achieved high-income or OECD status, LAC remains highly susceptible to economic shocks, from normal business cycles to extraordinary events such as pandemics and climate-related natural disasters. Because many in LACs middle class are one shock away from poverty or vulnerability, shielding people from such conditions is just as important as lifting people from them.

Addressing LACs numerous and at times overlapping forms of hardship and inequality requires considering all dimensions of vulnerability. Unleashing the regions massive human potential requires a foundation of inclusive and redistributive policies. Social protection systems, combined with data-driven risk-management and prediction tools, must better target and cover new beneficiaries in need, such as unbanked populations in rural communities.

As countries begin to rethink their medium- to long-term economic strategies, policymakers should work closely with the private sector to facilitate and broaden access to the resources needed to generate resilient, self-sustaining growth, such as digital connectivity, education, high-quality and formal employment, and credit. Continued technical and financial assistance from multilateral organizations like the World Bank can play an important role in supporting this process.

Finally, LAC policymakers across the political spectrum should take stock of the rapidly evolving sentiments in society. The pandemic has aggravated popular frustration and polarization, and a number of key elections are on the horizon. In several countries, reaching a consensus on the path forward could be difficult. The stakes are high: not only accelerating an inclusive regional recovery, but also safeguarding the conditions for continuous macro- and micro-improvements in the post-pandemic future.

Read the original:

Building an Inclusive Recovery in Latin America and the Caribbean by Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, Otaviano Canuto and Pepe Zhang - Project Syndicate

The scars from the COVID-19 crisis will take years to fade if countries in Latin America and the Caribbean don't take immediate steps to boost a lackluster recovery from the pandemic, with poverty now at its highest level in decades, according to a new World Bank report,Recovering Growth, Rebuilding Dynamic Post-Covid Economies Amid Fiscal Constraints.

Although regional growth is projected to recover at 6.3 percent in 2021, with vaccination accelerating and COVID-19 deaths falling, for most countries it will fail to completely reverse the 6.7 percent contraction last year. Furthermore, growth forecasts for the next two years sink to below 3 percent, returning to the low growth rates of the 2010s and fueling fears of another Lost Decade of development.

At this seminar, William Maloney, Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean Region, World Bank, will present the main findings of the report. This seminar will be conducted in English without interpretation into Japanese.

8am-9am, Thursday November 4, 2021 (Japan Standard Time)

Please send your questions to the speaker via online form posted on this webpage.

William F. Maloney is Chief Economist for the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region. PMr. Maloney, a U.S. national, joined the Bank in 1998 as Senior Economist for the Latin America and Caribbean Region. He held various positions including Lead Economist in the Office of the Chief Economist for Latin America, Lead Economist in the Development Economics Research Group, Chief Economist for Trade and Competitiveness and Global Lead on Innovation and Productivity. He was most recently Chief Economist for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions (EFI) Vice Presidency. From 2011 to 2014 he was Visiting Professor at the University of the Andes and worked closely with the Colombian government on innovation and firm upgrading issues.

Mr. Maloney received his PhD in Economics from the University of California Berkeley (1990), his BA from Harvard University (1981), and studied at the University of the Andes in Bogota, Colombia (1982-83). His research activities and publications have focused on issues related to international trade and finance, developing country labor markets, and innovation and growth, including several flagship publications about Latin America and the Caribbean.

To be posted in advance to the seminar.

World Bank Group Morning Seminar

Read the original here:

World Bank Tokyo Online Morning Seminar #127 October 2021 Semi-Annual Report of the Latin America and the Caribbean Region - Recovering Growth:...

It looks like the next Royal Caribbean President's Cruise will be in summer 2022 and visiting Alaska.

During a webinar with travel agents, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley hinted the next President's Cruise will be held in Alaska on an unspecified sailing in June 2022.

The President's Cruise is centered around celebrating its most loyal customers, who get the chance to cruise with Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley, as well as attend special events just for them.

"I'm not sure whether we've communicated the next President's Cruise, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be it will be in Alaska next June or July."

"I am pretty sure it's going to be in Alaska in June, so we haven't communicated it. I'm sure we'll be communicating it shortly after what I've just said."

Mr. Bayley did not specify which ship or sailing it would be hosted on.

In 2022, Royal Caribbean will send four cruise ships to Alaska on Ovation, Quantum, Serenade and Radiance of the Seas.

Ovation and Quantum of the Seas will sail from Seattle, and offer 7-night Alaska cruises.

Radiance of the Seas willoffer alternating 7-10 night open-jaw itineraries Alaska cruises fromVancouver, British Columbia.

Serenade of the Seas, which will sail out of Vancouver and offer 7-night Alaska cruises.

The President's Cruise has become a popular annual Royal Caribbean tradition that invites fans of the cruise line to sail with the cruise line's CEO, and enjoy a series of special events, surprises and offerings.

The 2020 President's Cruise was cancelled due to the global cruise shutdown, and a 2021 President's Cruise was never scheduled.

More about Alaska cruises

Original post:

Next President's Cruise will be in Alaska 2022 - Royal Caribbean Blog

PUERTO MORELOS, Mexico Sept 29 (Reuters) - As the sun rises in Mexicos Quintana Roo state, home to the white sandy beaches of Cancun and Tulum, Rear Admiral Alejandro Lopez Zenteno readies his sailors for another day of dragging rafts of brown seaweed to shore and out of view of cocktail-sipping tourists.

Zenteno heads the operation for the Mexican Navy, which coordinates with the state and local governments to protect an area visitor trade that was valued at more than $15 billion annually before the coronavirus pandemic hit, according to Quintana Roos tourism secretariat.

When it washes ashore, the plant - known as sargassum - turns black and emits a sewage-like stench so powerful it has been known to make travelers ill. It attracts insects and turns the areas famed turquoise snorkeling waters a sickly brown.

And it just keeps coming. Since 2011, seaweed here and across the Caribbean has exploded for reasons scientists suspect is related to climate change but dont yet fully understand.

In Quintana Roo alone, Mexicos Navy since March has removed more than 37,000 tons of sargassum -- more than the weight of three Eiffel Towers -- from beaches and surrounding waters.

"We dont expect this to end anytime soon, Zenteno said onboard a seaweed-clearing ship known as a sargacero, one of 12 deployed by the Navy.

Entrepreneurs across the region, meanwhile, are searching for ways to monetize the muck. Theyre experimenting with seaweed-based products including animal feed, fuel, construction material - even signature cocktails.

Sargassum is seen as a nuisance, said Srinivasa Popuri, an environmental scientist in Barbados with the University of the West Indies. He views the Caribbean as blessed with a resource that grows naturally and requires no land or other inputs to flourish.

Popuri is working on extracting substances from seaweed that could have applications for the pharmaceutical, medical and food industries.

Whether such efforts prove viable remains to be seen. Commercializing seaweed can be challenging given the expense of collecting it.

Still, creativity is blossoming along with the seaweed.

SARGASSUM SOLUTIONS

One of the biggest potential uses lies in demand for so-called alginates, a biomaterial extracted from brown seaweed, which is a common ingredient in food thickeners, wound care and waterproofing agents for its gel-like properties.

The global market in 2020 was worth almost $610 million, a figure thats expected to grow to $755 million by 2027, according to consulting firm Global Market Insights.

Omar Vazquez, meanwhile, is building houses.

Vazquez, a nursery owner in the seaside town of Puerto Morelos near Cancun, for several years had used sargassum as a fertilizer. In 2018, he came up with the idea of turning it into a construction material. He said the resulting sargassum bricks, baked in the sun, allow him to build a house 60% cheaper than if he were to use traditional cement blocks.

A tourist tosses sargassum into the air at Marlin Beach in Cancun, Mexico May 30, 2021. REUTERS/Paola Chiomante

Read More

Now dubbed Seor Sargazo by his neighbors, Vazquez said he has built and donated 10 such houses to local families in need. He hopes to turn his now-patented Sargablock material into a for-profit franchise.

Everyone was complaining that sargassum was stinky, sargassum is a problem. What I did was find a solution for it, said Vazquez, 45, showing Reuters around Casa Angelita, the first house he built with seaweed and which he named for his mother.

The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Cancun found a tastier use for sargassum. For a time, it served up a cocktail made with tequila, vinegar, sugar, rosemary and a syrup derived from sanitized seaweed.

Some businesses are nervous about relying on a resource with variable supply: Theres no way to know how much might grow in a year.

Others are concerned that large-scale harvests for business initiatives might lead to sea turtles and other endangered creatures being scooped up indiscriminately.

Still other efforts are waiting on scientific testing for safety. In Jamaica, entrepreneur Daveian Morrison is building a processing plant to scale up his experiments, including turning seaweed into charcoal for people to burn in lieu of firewood. He said his recipe for animal feed made from the protein-rich plant proved a hit at a local goat farm, but it needs more testing to ensure the seaweed doesnt contain dangerous levels of arsenic or other harmful substances.

In Barbados, a University of the West Indies research team is distilling sargassum along with waste from a rum distillery to make methane, which can be turned into compressed natural gas to power transportation across the island.

There is this beautiful coincidence that the ocean is producing all this biomass, said Legena Henry, a renewable-energy lecturer at the university. She said shell soon be converting her own car to run on the fuel, with the hopes of a wider rollout next June.

SEAWEED EXPLOSION

Sargassum is most famously found in the Sargasso Sea in the north Atlantic, where the seaweed has been documented for hundreds of years. How it traveled south to the tropical Atlantic is unclear.

Some scientists have theorized that the intense 2010 hurricane season may have carried a bit of it to the central western Atlantic, planting the seeds for a new sargassum belt that now stretches nearly 9,000 kilometers.

That seaweed explosion might just reflect the system going over some tipping point, said biologist Joseph Montoya at Georgia Tech University. We don't know.

Also unclear is why the Caribbean sargassum blooms have grown to such monstrous masses. Scientists say climate change, water pollution, Amazon deforestation and dust blowing in from the Sahara Desert are all likely factors.

New research published in May in the journal Nature Communications points to another suspect: Major rivers - including notably the Amazon - are pumping more human sewage and agricultural runoff into the ocean, where the nutrients are likely fertilizing the sargassum.

The University of South Florida has been tracking sargassum since 2011 and it recorded a significant uptick in 2015. In May, a record 18 million metric tons were detected by satellite in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean. Thats up nearly 6% from the previous May record set in 2018, and up more than 800% from levels seen a decade ago, according to Chuanmin Hu, an oceanographer at the University of South Florida.

Mexicos coastline is especially vulnerable, thanks to an ocean current swirling in the western Caribbean Sea that pulls sargassum towards the nations beaches. A July 21 map by the Sargassum Monitoring Network of Quintana Roo, a non-governmental organization, showed that 28 of the states 80 beaches were experiencing an "excessive" amount of sargassum, the most severe grade.

Reporting by Cassandra Garrison in Puerto Morelos, Jake Spring in Brasilia and Sarah Marsh in Havana; editing by Katy Daigle and Marla Dickerson

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Continue reading here:

Besieged by seaweed, Caribbean scrambles to make use of the stuff - Reuters

Short-cycle higher education programs (SPCs), such as technical degrees, tertiary careers and advanced vocational training programs, can be a highly effective tool in times of crisis such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, when millions of people across Latin America and the Caribbean need to acquire the training and skills to urgently join the formal job market, according to a new World Bank report.

The pandemic hit the region severely, causing an unprecedented economic downturn and a sharp drop in employment and production at a time of important transformations in the world of work. In this context, SCPs, which are usually two or three-year programs oriented to the labor market, could help boost employment by offering a path to relatively quick and well-paid job opportunities, according to the report The Fast Track to New Skills, Short-Cycle Higher Education Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Countries in the region should promote the expansion and quality of these programs in order to benefit a greater number of people and generate rapidly the human capital necessary for economic recovery and growth.

The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed an unprecedented crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean, pushing millions into poverty. Short-Cycle Higher Education Programs can play an important role in the recovery by helping overcome the employment crisis and preparing individuals for todays world of work, said Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, vice president of the World Bank for the Latin American and Caribbean region. In this context, countries across the region need to promote the transformative potential of SCPs.

According to the report, the salary benefits of technical level careers are clear. For example, short programs graduates generally earn -as expected- lower salaries than bachelors programs graduates, but on the regional average the former earn 25 percent more than the large percentage (54 percent) of dropouts from bachelors programs, considering student characteristics. The difference ranges from a low of -4 percent in Peru, 8 percent in Argentina, 22 percent in Ecuador and 42 percent in Paraguay to maximums of 58 percent in Bolivia and 74 percent in El Salvador.

Similarly, on the regional average SCP graduates earn 60 percent more than high school graduates with no higher education. In this case the salary difference ranges from lows of 32 percent in Peru and 36 percent in Costa Rica, to 44 percent in Mexico, 48 percent in Chile, and maximums of 100 percent in Bolivia and 110 percent in El Salvador.

SCP graduates also fare well in terms of employment. Not only do they outperform high school graduates; they also outperform dropouts from bachelors programs. Relative to the latter, they have a lower unemployment rate (3.8 versus 6.1 percent), and a higher formal employment rate (82 versus 67 percent). Particularly in the current context of unemployment and informality, these are important results.

The report also shows that SCP students graduate at a higher rate than bachelors students (57 versus 46 percent), which is especially relevant given that bachelors dropouts account for about half of all the individuals that start higher education in LAC and that, on average, SCP students come from more disadvantaged backgrounds than students from bachelors programs.

Short-cycle higher education programs have significant strengths, including an ability to respond fast and flexibly to labor market needs. They also benefit from a fluid relationship with local businesses and often assist students in their job searches, said Mara Marta Ferreyra, a senior economist at the World Bank and one of the authors of the report.

However, the offer of short programs in Latin America and the Caribbean is not yet as well developed as in other regions and the quality of their offer is uneven. In the last two decades, enrollment rate in higher education in LAC grew from 23 to 52 percent, but the greatest increase occurred in bachelors degrees. As a result, currently the share of SCP students in higher education enrollment is only 9 percent, lower than in most other regions (34 percent in East Asia and Pacific countries, 30 percent in North America, 21 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa, 18 percent in Europe and Central Asia). And while some programs offer excellent labor market outcomes, others do not.

In order to increase the number of short programs and improve the quality of their educational offer, it will be crucial to implement the appropriate policies. This will allow short higher education programs to reach their full potential. Examples of these policies are providing and disseminating information on outcomes, costs and returns for all programs; correcting funding inequities among students and program types; holding programs accountable based on student outcomes; and facilitating the accumulation of credentials and flexible academic pathways.

According to the report, with the right policies, institutions can offer better programs, students can make more informed career decisions, and individual, businesses and economic needs can be met.

Related

Continued here:

Short-Cycle Higher Education Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean - Modern Diplomacy

It is no news that human impact has adversely affected marine biodiversity. A recent study that used fossilised shark scales found that Caribbean shark populations have witnessed a steep decline since the mid-Holocene. The Holocene is a time period in the history of the Earth that began 10,000 years ago.

Cartilaginous fish like sharks, sawfish and rays have tiny, sharp tooth-shaped scales on their bodies that help them move through the water and also prevent microorganisms from taking up lodging on sharks skin. These are called dermal denticles (dermal = of the skin, denticle = teeth-like). The study employed deposits of dermal denticles as proxies of past shark populations as well as their species composition. There are currently over 500 species of sharks.

Sediment study

In order to source mid-Holocene shark assemblages, researchers collected sediment containing denticles from the mid-Holocene reefs and compared them with those from the modern reefs.

Researchers identified five morphotypes of dermal denticles, with each corresponding to a particular ecological group of sharks. The approach allows for almost direct reconstruction of the past shark population size and species composition.

Almost all species of sharks witnessed a decline from the mid-Holocene to the present. Shark abundance in the mid-Holocene was nearly thrice higher than the present-day reefs.

Denticles corresponding to pelagic sharks registered the largest reduction in number. By contrast, the demersal sharks did not show that much of a decline. Pelagic organisms are those that are attached to the surface of the ocean, while demersal or benthic organisms live at the bottom.In the present day, benthic sharks are more abundant in number than pelagic sharks like the fast swimming requiem and hammerhead sharks that live near the shore.

The authors note the possible reasons for this shift it could be that sharks of the yesteryears could have been larger, resulting in more denticle accumulation.

Role of overfishing

The decline in shark numbers post-industrialisation in Caribbean reefs also bears a close resemblance to the decline observed in this study from the mid-Holocene to the present day.

Another recent study published in 2020 found, via video monitoring, that overfishing had almost entirely exterminated sharks from several reefs. Indeed, historical records from the early twentieth or nineteenth centuries talk of seas teeming with sharks, and early second millennium CE archaeological records also show evidence of shark teeth.

Substantial degradation in the populations of not only sharks but marine carnivores, in general, took place. well before coral disease and bleaching

The authors note how modern-day Panamanian fisheries selectively catch pelagic sharks, which implicates overfishing as a key factor in reducing numbers of pelagic sharks, as noted above.

But what about the decline in the numbers of nurse sharks, that live close to the bottom of the ocean and have little monetary value? Could a reason other than overfishing be at play? Coastal development, land clearing, and agriculture have all had their share of the blame, leading to the low oxygen content in water, disease, bleaching a pattern observed across the Caribbean. That, and overfishing targets not only sharks but also other fish that serve as food for sharks.

The ecological impacts of reduction in the populations of sharks and marine carnivores, such as that on food webs, are still in the process of being studied.

The authors hope that diving into ancient fossil palimpsests that predate human impact could help in setting more robust baselines for biodiversity restoration targets in these areas.

The author is a freelance science communicator. (mail[at]ritvikc[dot]com)

Go here to see the original:

How human exploitation dwindled Caribbean shark communities, a study finds out - The Indian Express

News Americas, BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Fri. Oct. 1, 2021: A US $250 million Africa-Caribbean Trade and Investment Financing Facility could soon become a reality.

Thats according to President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Professor Benedict Oramah.

Speaking at a press conference this week during a visit to Barbados, Professor Oramah said they have agreed in principle that the African Export-Import Bank will put in place an initial amount of [US] $250 million in a facility called the Africa-Caribbean Trade and Investment Financing Facility.

We know that if they (banks and companies) want to do business among themselves, there is financing to support it, he added. We believe that is the first hurdle we must cross. And so, were going to go back and get our board tolook at it and consider it as quickly as possible.

Professor Oramah expressed the view that Africa and the Caribbean must begin with the low-hanging fruits and then work towards the more difficult areas.

He suggested that air and shipping links must be opened, and logistics facilities developed and pointed out Africa was working to diversify its economy and would also work to assist in varying that of the Caribbean region.

We cannot continue the old way because the old way has not worked for us. We have to find new ways, and finding new ways must be founded in our rootsthat bind us together as brothers and sisters, he insisted.

He also said there is a need to promote tourism between Africa and the Caribbean in a direct manner, so its not that Africans come to the Caribbean in a roundabout way.

We have to create direct relations that promote this. We have to find ways of also creating opportunities for investment for African businesses who want to invest in the Caribbean, and also for Caribbean businesses who want to invest in Africa, Professor Oramah stated.

Read this article:

Get Ready For The Africa-Caribbean Trade and Investment Facility - Caribbean and Latin America Daily News - News Americas

Royal Caribbean is sending Spectrum of the Seas to homeport in Singapore in 2022 and the three to nine night cruises are now open for bookings.

Built to deliver memorable vacation experiences, the first Quantum Ultra Class ship boasts the cruise lines first private enclave for suite guests, innovative dining concepts, and stunning features and adventures many of which have never been seen at sea.

We are thrilled to introduce a whole spectrum of new adventures with Spectrum of the Seas, which features groundbreaking escapades exclusively designed for the Asian market, a testament to Royal Caribbeans confidence in the potential of the cruising industry in the region. We have seen a surge in repeat cruisers, as well as a significant number of new to cruise guests, and look forward to bringing the best of the Royal Caribbean experience to our guests, said Angie Stephen, vice president, Singapore, Royal Caribbean International. At the same time, we are excited to extend Quantums ultimate ocean getaways once again through early next year to continue catering to the strong demand for sailings from Singapore.

Sponsored Links

Guests on board Spectrum will savour an exotic array of Asian-inspired cuisine consisting of teppanyaki and hot pot-style dining, as well as an entertainment extravaganza touching on the cultures, colors, music and dance styles of China, Persia and India.Spectrum offers the perfect combination of high-tech experiences, providing adventure-loving guests a wealth of onboard adventures including the following:

Asias first Sky Pad, a virtual reality, bungee trampoline adventure where guests strap in and don a headset to transport themselves to another time and planet.

Royal Caribbeans first and exclusive Suite Enclave, which features the exquisite Royal Suite Class Star, Sky and Sea accommodations in a private area supremely positioned at the forward end of the ship. Guests booked in these luxury suites have exclusive floor access, an elevator, private restaurants, and a dedicated lounge area.

Cutting-edge and transformative venues such as Two70. Boasting stunning 270-degree ocean views by day and transforming into a multidimensional theater by night, this transformative space flaunts six agile Roboscreens, breathtaking live performers and mind-bending aerialists to create unimaginable visuals. Meanwhile, SeaPlex, the largest indoor activity space at sea, features bumper cars, interactive gaming, laser tag, fencing, archery, and more.

Star Moment, a lively and energetic karaoke venue where family and friends can belt out and sing like stars.

Spacious and family friendly staterooms, ranging from exterior balcony staterooms to family friendly interconnected rooms, to the signature two-level Ultimate Family Suite, an expansive, multiroom retreat complete with its own ensuite slide and cinema, which also doubles as a karaoke stage.

A bold lineup of signature activities, including the FlowRider surf simulator, the North Star, an all-glass capsule that ascends 300 feet above the ocean to deliver incomparable 360-degree views; and RipCord by iFly, the first sky diving experience at sea.Nineteen distinct dining options serve up flavors from around the world, including Hot Pot, an authentic Chinese dining experience; Teppanyaki, a celebration of authentic oriental flavors cooked in Japans traditional teppanyaki style; and Sichuan Red, a new specialty dining experience tailored just for Spectrum, where diners can savour a bold tapestry of authentic spices and Sichuan flavours. Signature classics include imaginative cuisine at Wonderland, top-notch, aged beef at Chops Grille, and authentic rustic fare and handmade pasta at Jamies Italian.

The global cruise operator continues to implement health and safety measures as needed, in line with its Royal Promise commitment. In addition to robust onboard ventilation systems, enhanced cleaning and sanitization as well as having its crew vaccinated, the cruise line will also require all guests to be fully vaccinated for all new bookings made from October 1, 2021, and onwards.

The vaccine requirement is one of the many layers of measures that safeguard the well-being of guests, crew and the communities at each destination visited, and Royal Caribbean will continue to evaluate and update its measures as circumstances evolve with various government and health authorities.

More here:

Royal Caribbean Sending Spectrum of the Seas to Singapore in 2022 - Cruise Fever

Sir Richard Bransons newest private-island destination is officially open, according to Virgin Limited Edition.

The-125 acre Moskito Island, set in the heart of the British Virgin Islands, is the newest jewel in the Caribbean, Virgin says.

The islands accommodations are set across three estates: The Oasis Estate, the Point Estate and the Branson Estate.

The Oasis Estate sleeps up to 18 guests; with The Point facilitating 14 guests and eight children and the 11-bedroom The Branson sleeping up to 22 guests (The Branson comes with its own private beach.).

The Point and The Oasis are both new developments.

The Oasis, set on the highest point of Moskito Island, has nine rooms, including a four-story main house with everything from a swim-up pool bar to a billiards and movie room.

The Point is a cliffside villa on Moskitos Manchioneel Beach, with a massive infinity pool and broad views of the water.

In keeping with the style of Bransons other British Virgin Islands private destination, Necker Island, the island is all about enjoying nature and the BVIs marine environment.

That means a broad selection of watersports and other activities, along with options like boat excursions, spa treatments and communal spaces to enjoy time with other guests on the island.

The island has been 14 years in the making, according to Virgin.

Moskito Island is the newest, and one of the most exclusive, private islands in the Caribbean, the company says.

Both the Point Estate and the Oasis will be available for exclusive buyouts beginning Oct. 10, the company said.

For more, visit Virgin Limited Edition.

CJ

See the rest here:

Richard Branson's Newest Caribbean Private Island Is Open - Caribbean Journal