St. Maarten

(Dive Travel Business News - June 5, 2012) --To celebrate its landmark 25th anniversary, liveaboard fleet Explorer Ventures is offering several specials on its first and still-running Northeastern Caribbean itinerary  between St. Maarten, Saba and St. Kitts. 

For departures between Aug. 25 and Sept. 29 , 2012, Explorer Ventures has fantastic 2 for $2,500 specials to Saba, St. Kitts and St. Maarten:  Two people can board the boat for $2,500, or one can enjoy 2 back-to-back weeks for $2,500.  Beginners and experienced divers alike have been enjoying this unique itinerary for a quarter of a century, which in addition to offering up to 5 dives per day, also has available islands tours to experience the history and culture of these unique destinations. 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 - October 17, 2011) -- Since June the Eastern Caribbean has been invaded by an extraordinary volume of seaweed, sending resorts and government agencies, from Anguilla in the north to Tobago in the south, scrambling to rid beaches of the smelly, brown, bug-attracting algae before the impending high season.

While small amounts of Sargassum are normally found in the Caribbean from May to September when regional currents and winds transport the floating algae to the islands, such large accumulations across so many regions have never before been recorded.  

So much Sargassum seaweed has been washing up on Eastern Caribbean beaches this summer and fall that St. James's Club & Villas in Antigua was forced to close for several weeks in September where the weed, a floating species of algae that inhabits the Sargasso Sea, had completely filled the bay on which the hotel sits, leaving piles as high as five feet tall along the usually pristine shore.  read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - September 10, 2011) -- Ready for DEMA 2011, Explorer Ventures is offering specials that dive shops and wholesalers can book now through the end of DEMA Show 2011.  DEMA Specials must be booked and deposited by Nov 5, 2011 in order for the special to apply.

Also available for a limited time only, all Agents who book half-boat charters (50% of the boat capacity) or full boat charters receive free Nitrox and applies to all Explorer Venture destinations. On full-boat charters, Explorer Ventures is offering a free FAM trip on any vessel for the group representative. These incentives can be combined with Explorer Ventures standard group incentive policies such as: 1 free berth for 5 paid (max 2 per charter; alternative group paymentn plans; off peak charter specials with increased commissions and double the free berths; easy group reduction policies. read more »

(April 10, 2008 - Modern Agent) -- SMART, the St. Maarten/St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow, is returning to the island of St. Maarten/St. Martin, May 20-22, for its seventh consecutive year.

Designed to showcase the islands of the northeastern Caribbean, which include Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Saba, St. Barthelemy, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts & Nevis, Barbados and St. Maarten/St. Martin, the event provides buyers and sellers within the tourism industry a venue to network and negotiate future business opportunities.

The SMART tradeshow will take place over the three-day period at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino, which is located near the Princess Juliana International Airport. The show will offer inspections of select area properties; pre and post event tours of St. Maarten/St. Martin as well as area islands; guided tours of the newly refurbished Princess Juliana Airport; area updates on regional travel and island hopping opportunities and networking events with area/regional hoteliers and tour operators. Visit www.shta.com. read more »