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Disney's Wonder |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, MAY 30TH 2006 - Disney Cruise Line's 2,400 passenger cruise ship 'Disney Wonder' is to make its first port call in St. Kitts in September this year.
This has been confirmed by St. Kitts and Nevis' Minister of State for Tourism, Sports, and Culture, Senator the Hon. Richard 'Ricky' Skerritt, who said the visit will be closely monitored to ensure positive results that will lead to future visits to Port Zante.
Mr. Skerritt noted that Disney cruise executives who attended the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA's) 12th Annual Convention in St. Kitts in September last year scouted the island for the second time.
'The positive attributes they found in St. Kitts provided the impetus for Disney to schedule an exploratory port call when the 'Wonder' sails through the region later this year,' said Minister Skerritt, who pointed out that the main draw for Disney was having the Scenic Railway available for tours.
'The Walt Disney Company uses railways as centerpiece rides and transportation systems in all of their theme parks and destination resorts worldwide. Disney guests rate the train rides as one of the highlights of any Disney experience. No other country in the Eastern Caribbean has a train experience for visitors,' said Minister Skerritt, who pointed out further that having the Scenic Railway helped St. Kitts get this ship.
According to Minister Skerritt, Disney will be carefully monitoring the passenger feedback on this first-ever visit to St. Kitts for the North American family-oriented cruise line.
'At least a dozen local Shore Excursion tours are being offered by the ship during its port call, including a combined Scenic Railway/Brimstone Hill Tour that marries a trip on the narrow gauge train with a visit to the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park,' he said.
'If Disney passengers like their experience here, I believe that we can look forward to additional calls of Disney ships in the future,' said Skerritt, adding: 'They are experimenting with longer itineraries, and new destinations for their ships. They have a very loyal customer base, and their past passengers will cruise with them to new places. For example, they are trying one of their ships in the Mediterranean for the first time because so many of their guests have said they want to sail in Europe with Disney.'
Disney Cruise Line operates two 2,400-passenger cruise ships, and is owned by the Walt Disney Company headquartered in Orlando, Florida.
Started in 1923, the Walt Disney Company includes four major business segments: Studio Entertainment (three movie production studios, four record labels, and two distribution companies); Parks and Resorts (11 theme parks worldwide, and five Destination Resorts); Consumer Products (Disney Toys, and Disney Stores); and Media Networks (ABC Entertainment, ABC News, ABS Sports, and ESPN, Disney Channel, and ABC Family). It is a public company traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
