Caribbean Experience Upgrades

Trunk Bay’s underwater snorkel trail runs roughly 225 yards alongside Trunk Cay inside Virgin Islands National Park and uses submerged interpretive markers to explain coral and reef species; the National Park Service describes it as a self‑guided educational route. (nps.gov) The trail’s interpretive formula dates to the early 1960s—the route is widely reported as having been established in 1962—making it one of the earliest marked underwater education trails in the Caribbean. (cruzbaywatersports.com) Trunk Bay collects an Expanded Amenity Fee of $5.00 per person (ages 16 and up) for day use, payable on-site or via Recreation.gov, and that fee is not waived on designated National Park “fee free” days. (nps.gov) (recreation.gov) Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park rolled out the “Plan Your Snorkel” digital guide in April 2024, offering maps, site access notes and species identifiers intended to help visitors choose reef sites within the park. (friendsvinp.org) Sandals Royal Caribbean first opened a set of five over‑water luxury villas in December 2016 and then added 12 over‑water bungalows that began taking guests in March 2017, creating a combined inventory of 17 over‑water accommodations at the Montego Bay private island. (news.sandals.com) (travelweek.ca) The over‑water units at Sandals feature sea‑through glass floor panels, Tranquility Soaking Tubs, private butler service, a heart‑shaped wooden walkway on the resort’s private island and dedicated water‑taxi transfers between the island and the main resort. (sandals.com 1) (sandals.com 2) Sandals Resorts International announced a US$200 million reimagination of three Jamaican properties, including Sandals Royal Caribbean, and published updated reopening timelines that place Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals Montego Bay among the properties scheduled to reopen in late 2026. (hospitalitynet.org) (thesandlady.com)