Bahamas

(Dive Travel Business - January 31, 2012) -- Diving is meant to be shared. To encourage positive Buddy relationships the Dancer Fleet is continuing its “Dive Buddy Week” promotions in 2012 on select Dancer Fleet departures. When one diver is booked on a dive buddy week at regular price, his or her dive buddy travels for ½ off the regular cruise price. Single divers booked during Dive Buddy Week receive a 25% per person discount.

The Dive Buddy Week Schedule for 2012 includes Komodo Island, Cocos Island, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Fiji, Bahamas and Belize.  Yachts and cruise start dates are as follows:

Komodo Dancer (Komodo): 12-MAR-2012, 05-JUN-2012
Wind Dancer (Cocos Island): 31-MAR-2012,  08-Dec-2012
Star Dancer ((Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea): 19-JUN-2012, 28-AUG-2012
Tropic Dancer (Palau):  08-JULY-2012, 23-SEPT-2012
Island Dancer (Fiji): 11-AUG-2012, 06-OCT-2012
Carib Dancer (Bahamas): 18-AUG-2012, 03-NOV-2012
Sun Dancer II (Belize): 08-SEPT-2012, 13-OCT-2012   read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - January 13, 2012) -- Sumner Point Marina & Villas on Rum Cay in the southern Bahamas is under renovation and will reopen as the Guy Harvey Outpost Club & Marina, Rum Cay in Spring 2012.  Renovation plans include rebuilding the marina, adding a dive shop, refurbishing the four beachfront cottages and upgrading the Out of the Blue restaurant. A new marina, beachfront suites, a small spa and a freshwater pool with patios and a beach bar will be added next fall.

Rum Cay, population 60, is 50 miles southeast of Georgetown in the Exumas, and is known for its diving, fishing, surfing and kiteboarding.  Airlift to Rum Cay is via scheduled charter flights from Fort Lauderdale and Nassau. The resort plans to offer an air taxi service between Georgetown and Rum Cay. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - December 29, 2011) -- Dive Travelers are going to have access to more air lift, more access, more options and more gateways from the U.S. this year signaling a comeback in travel from the past two years. The downside - higher fares and full planes. Here is a summary of some of the new air service.

Antigua -
• American began nonstop flights four times a week from Kennedy to Antigua in November.
• St. Vincent Grenadines Air offers daily scheduled service between Antigua and Montserrat.

Aruba -
• JetBlue offers a Saturday flight from Boston to Aruba in addition to its two weekly flights
• AirTran has weekend flights from Baltimore to Aruba through March 14, plus daily service to Aruba from Atlanta and weekend flights from Orlando.
• Delta has weekly nonstop service on Saturday from LaGuardia to Aruba, complementing its Saturday nonstop service from DKennedy and its flights via Atlanta to Aruba from Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark and Westchester County Airport. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - November 2, 2011) -- At the first day of the DEMA Show 2011, worldwide liveaboard company Dancer Fleet, has announced its latest dive yacht: The 100-foot custom luxury Carib Dancer will launch her maiden voyage May 12, 2012, allowing 14 divers to explore the best of the Bahamas each week out of Nassau each week.

The main cruise itinerary will visit areas such as the Exuma islands and the Exuma Land and Sea Park, the island of Eluthera, and Little San Salvador. The itinerary and exact islands visited will vary each week as the captain’s mandate is to provide guests the best possible diving based on the current conditions at that time. The islands are visually stunning and there are numerous opportunities to go ashore and snorkeling for non-divers.

Introductory prices for the all inclusive 7 night cruise starts at $1695 per person for the quad occupancy cabin and $1895 for the deluxe cabins. Airport transfers, accommodations, diving up to 5 dives a day, meals, snacks, beverages – including alcohol – are all included. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - March 3, 2011) -- The legendary Bimini Big Game Club recently celebrated a public grand re-opening as a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort property in Alice Town, North Bimini. The resort just introduced Neal Watson’s Dive Bimini, a Guy Harvey Outpost Dive Center, offering diving experiences with amenities ranging from a 60-foot, glass bottom dive boat to all-new tanks and rental gear and even frequent chances to dive with Neal or Guy.

Closed for two years, the Club’s recent renovations include updated guest rooms, the new Bimini Big Game Bar & Grill, the Outfitter Shop - a retail experience featuring Guy Harvey sportswear and gifts, and a new marina, pool bar and patio. Rates start at $149 per night. Call 800.867-4764 or visit Bimini Big Game Club. View the Dive Bimini Youtube Video.

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(Dive Travel Business News - November 5, 2010) -- Celebrating 24 years of live-aboard diving, Explorer Ventures is using DEMA Show 2010 to say thanks to the industry. During the show, Explorer Ventures will partner with Scuba Radio to give away over $11,000 in Explorer Ventures’ live-aboard trips.

Each morning between 9:30 - 10am DEMA attendees will have a chance to win one of 5 live-aboard trips to one of Explorer Ventures destinations to the Southern Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Saba-St Kitts, Galapagos or Maldives. Each evening during the show Explorer Ventures will give away a $2000 dive travel certificate that the winner can apply to their Explorer Ventures destination of choice.

Learn about the unique diving found at each Explorer Ventures destination on Thursday November 18 when Explorer Ventures presents "The Destinations, the Diving, the Distinction" (Room S202). On Friday attendees will learn about the Maldives with its seminar "The Maldives newest yacht, the Carpe Vita Explorer" (Room S203). Seminars will be held at the DEMA Show in Las Vegas. read more »

Speaking at the launch of the Regional Economic Outlook in October. Gilbert Terrier, IMF's senior advisor for the Western Hemisphere stated that,“Smaller islands in the region have experienced a sharper and more prolonged decline in arrivals than some of the larger islands. Destinations that significantly reduced hotel prices following the crisis experienced milder declines in arrivals.” read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - July 17, 2010) -- On July 1, the airport departure tax in the Bahamas increased to $20 per traveler, up from $15.  In addition, the hotel room tax jumped from 6% to 10%.

(Dive Travel Business News - May 31, 2010) -- Nekton Diving Cruises ceased operations May 17, 2010. The Florida-based dive tour company operated two ultra-stable SWATH twin-hull dive boats designed for people prone to sea sickness.

The Nekton Pilot and the Nekton Rorqual, both designed to accommodate more than 30 scuba divers, offered one-week itineraries to the Bahamas and Belize.  According to the owners, the vessels proved too costly to run as reservations declined in a down economy. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - May 10, 2010 ) -- Travel writer Annie Kazel Wilcox has been a scuba diver for over 20 years. Her dive travels have spanned Baja and Bali, the Mediterranean, Australia's Great Barrier Reef and more. In this Special Article to the Miami Herald, Kazel-Wilcox spells out her favorite Caribbean diving haunts. Here is a summary of her Top 10 Caribbean Dive Sites: 

1.The Elbow, Turneffe Island, Belize
2. Ocean Blue Hole, Andros Island, Bahamas
3. Wreck of the Antilla, Aruba
4. Bloody Bay Wall, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands
5. Mareau Gardens, Tobago Cays, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
6. Wreck of the RMS Rhone, Tortola, BVI
7. Carvel Rock, St. John, USVI
8. Wreck of the Bianca C, Grenada
9. Northstar, St. Croix, USVI
10. Champagne, Dominica read more »