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| Photo: Areial view of the Crown Princess docked at Port Zante last week Monday afternoon (photo by Erasmus Williams) |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, DECEMBER 4TH 2006 (CUOPM) - The 2006/2007 Cruise Ship Season, which will bring some 200,000 passengers to St. Kitts, moves into high gear this week with the arrival of nine ships between Tuesday and Saturday.
According to information obtained from the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority, just over 27,000 cruise passengers visited St. Kitts in October and November, with three ships bringing 3,576 passengers in October and
23,513 passengers from 18 calls in November.
The 48,000 ton Empress of the Seas, which arrived from Puerto Rico docked at Port Zante on Saturday with 1,907 passengers. It left early that evening for nearby St. Maarten.
The Minerva 2 with a passenger capacity of 838 passengers will visit on Tuesday. Three ships are scheduled on Wednesday; the 122-passenger Polynesia; the 96-passenger Sea Cloud and the 2,600 passenger Queen Mary 2.
On Thursday, the 2,020-passenger Empress of Seas; the 1,266-passenger Maasdam; the 400-passenger Silver Shadow and the Star Clipper with 180 passengers will visit.
According to Port Authority information, 31 cruise ship calls with an estimated 34,288 passengers are scheduled for December; 33,419 passengers on board 34 ships are scheduled to call in January 2007; 32,397 passengers from
29 ship calls in February 2007; 43,126 passengers from 43 ship calls in March 2007; 37,611 cruise passengers from 26 ship calls in April 2007 and two calls in May with 3,475 passengers.
New ships with St. Kitts on its itinerary include the Crown Princess, which has on its three visits in November brought a total of 9,716 passengers.
Eleven more visits are planned for the season.
~~Adz:Left~~The 2,680-passenger Carnival Legend makes its inaugural schedule visit in February and will make a total of six calls; the 2,501-passenger Serenade of the Seas, two calls; the Explorer of the Seas, two calls; the 1,950-passenger, Sea Princess, five calls; the 960-passenger Crystal Harmony, two calls; the 2,450-passenger Constellation will make 7 calls and the 1,910-passenger Regal Princess, which visited in October will make one more call before the end of the season.
The 180-passenger Easy Cruise 1, makes its inaugural call on December 12th and will make a total of 18 calls to St. Kitts.
The 2,600-passenger Queen Mary will make five more visits and the 2,681-passenger Galaxy, five calls. Several calls will also be made by the 2,388-passenger Arcadia, the 1266-passenger Maasdam; the 1950-passenger Oceana, the 1,975-passenger Oriana and the 1,650-passenger, Ocean Village.
The Queen Elizabeth 2, sister ship of the Queen Mary 2, has one visit scheduled in May.
Several smaller ships including the Star Clipper, Sun Dream, Royal Clipper, Europa, Braemar, Seabourn Legend, Silver Wind, Sea Cloud, Sea Cloud 2, Sea Dream 2, Minerva and Polynesia.
