Island Hoppers, Pack Your Passports

British West Indies Airways, meanwhile, has changed its name to Caribbean Airlines (800-920-4225, http://www.caribbean-airlines.com/). The airline still flies from JFK in New York to various places, via Trinidad, but all its routes from Dulles have been canceled.

Spirit Airlines (800-772-7117, http://www.spiritair.com/) is launching service from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Port au Prince, Haiti. The flights will start three days a week on March 22 and step up to a daily schedule in May. But travelers to the long-troubled region should beware: The State Department has reissued a warning, expiring July 9, against travel there, citing continued violence and kidnappings.

Hotels

The accent in new hotels is on luxury: honeymoon-worthy haunts with up-to-the-minute amenities and views that bring you close to fainting. Here's a sampling of what's new; rates quoted are per night, double occupancy, and for low season, which usually starts after Easter.

· Antigua. Hermitage Bay (268-562-5500, http://www.hermitagebay.com/) has 25 ocean-view cottages, all decked out with iPod dock stations, flat-screen TVs and hardwood floors. From $570.

· St. Maarten. The 317-room Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort & Spa (800-228-3000, http://www.westin.com/) has a full-service spa and casino, and its Opal Ultra Lounge is an edgy nightspot. Introductory rates of $302 available until April 16 for stays of four nights or more.

· Turks and Caicos. The Somerset on Grace Bay (649-946-5900, http://www.thesomerset.com/) has 53 suites, lawn croquet and such neat touches as swimming pools equipped with underwater stereo music. From $450.

· Dominican Republic. The 55-suite Sivory Punta Cana (809-552-0500, http://www.sivorypuntacana.com/) is a refreshingly calm haven -- no limbo contests here -- with its own beachfront. From $290 (all-inclusive rates available).

· Grenada. The 64-room Spice Island Beach Resort (800-448-8355, http://www.spiceislandresort.com/) has reopened following an overhaul after Hurricane Ivan. Included in the revamp: a 5,600-square-foot spa. From $635.

· Guadeloupe. Club Med La Caravelle (888-932-2582, http://www.clubmed.com/) has reopened after a nine-month renovation, with two upgraded French restaurants and other new features. All-inclusive rates per person start at about $1,200 for seven nights or about $180 a night.

· Grand Cayman. The 365-room Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman (800-241-3333, http://www.ritzcarlton.com/) features a half-dozen restaurants, a nine-hole golf course and a prime address on Seven Mile Beach. From $349.

Spa Scene

Spas have become major pampering destinations in just about every corner of the Caribbean. "Gone are the days in which island spas were a tiny room with one massage table," said Cheryl Andrews, whose Florida public relations firm promotes travel to several Caribbean resorts. "They've become as impressive there as in any part of the world."

On Aruba, the 13,000-square-foot Larimar Spa (011-297-526-6050 http://www.larimarspaaruba.com/) at the Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino opened in September. The spa, touted as the island's largest, features an aloe vera and rum massage ($175 for 80 minutes).

In the Riviera Maya, near Cancun, Mexico, El Spa (888-923-2722, http://www.iberostar.com/) in the Iberostar Paraiso Maya is a 32,000-square-foot facility with thalassotherapy pools, hammam steam rooms and a 6,000-square-foot saltwater pool. The Golden Paradise Treatment (a one-hour massage using cosmetic gold, $130) has received glowing reviews.

Half Moon (866-648-6951, http://www.halfmoon.com/), the deluxe resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, is planning to unveil a 68,000-square-foot sanctuary spa later this year. It will be outfitted with indoor/outdoor treatment rooms and a yoga pavilion.

On Cofresi Beach in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, the Spa (809-970-3364, http://www.sunvillagebeachresort.com/) has opened at Sun Village Resort. Spread over 17,000 square feet, it features an outdoor bamboo shower and offers a coffee jade wrap treatment using 100 percent green coffee ($65 for 25 minutes).