Around the islands
Brilliant Lady, the fourth ship from Virgin Voyages, will debut in September 2025 with itineraries that are unusually long for the brand, including a 12-night voyage with stops in Bonaire and Grand Cayman. After a full renovation, Antigua’s adults-only Hermitage Bay reopened last month under new management with 30 redesigned sea-facing cottages and an updated spa. Beginning early next year, guests of Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort, on St. Lucia will be able to book Spice of Life, a nine-bedroom villa with an art collection that includes works by Yayoi Kusama and Damien Hirst. Last spring honeymooner favorite Sandals opened on St. Vincent and has off-property activities like bat-cave kayaking and bike tours.
Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel, Anguilla, kicks off this high season with a shiny new Guerlain spa right on the beach. JetBlue’s new interairline partnership with Tradewind Aviation allows customers to book connecting flights to Anguilla, St. Barths, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda within a single transaction. After years of painstaking renovation and expansion, the Potlatch Club, a high-society hot spot since the 1950s, reopened on the Bahamas’ Eleuthera island. Four Seasons Yachts will begin offering Caribbean trips in January 2026, including a seven-night sailing through the Lesser Antilles, with stops in Martinique and Antigua.
Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Turks & Caicos, located on the island of South Caicos, is already bookable with Marriott Bonvoy points—months ahead of its February 2025 opening. Grand Hyatt Grand Cayman Resort & Spa is under construction and slated to open in 2025. Norwegian Cruise Line‘s brand-new Norwegian Aqua will bring its hybrid roller coaster waterslide to the Bahamas this April on its inaugural cruise. After making its September 2024 debut in the Med, Explora Journeys’ Explora II, the twin ship of Explora I, is spending the winter season in the Caribbean flitting among Miami, Martinique, Barbados, Puerto Rico, and other ports.
This article appeared in the December 2024 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.