BASSETERRE, St. Kitts -- FOR the first time since the onset of the pandemic, the Federation today (Nov. 16) saw three cruise vessels berthing simultaneously at Port Zante.
The Celebrity Equinox, Explorer of the Seas and the AIDAperla were the vessels that made a call to Port Zante, which is being described by officials at the Tourism Authority as being “a major milestone for cruise recovery in St. Kitts”.
The AIDperla made its inaugural call to the Federation bringing with it 1,666 visitors to the islands. The three vessels brought approximately 4,500 persons to the shores of St. Kitts.
While speaking at a simple ceremony to acknowledge the arrival of the new vessel, Tourism Minister Lindsay Grant noted to all stakeholders that it is important to understand that the destination continues to work with its cruise line partners to offer a very safe experience.
The Ministry of Tourism along with the St. Kitts Tourism Authority have been working around the clock to ensure that visitors, especially those arriving on cruise are kept in a secure environment where there will be no outbreak of the virus.
With the AIDAperla coming with just under 50 percent capacity, Grant reminded that the government is still in the phase of rebuilding the sector, and as a result the operational procedures have “not been an easy one”.
“I want to let the public and our stakeholders know that we are taking steps in the right direction,” Grant assured.
Acting Prime Minister, Shawn Richards, in also welcoming the vessel and its crew, described the arrival as “a momentous occasion for the Federation'' as the vessel arrived on the day the Federation welcomed the return of three cruise ship days since March of last year.
“...because it reflects continued confidence that our cruise line partners have in this beautiful federation,” Richards said.
The current week is expected to be one of the busy periods for the cruise and taxi sectors as the industry slowly rebuilds.
