Antigua and Barbuda: Home Porting season kicks off with 714 passengers arrival

Antigua and Barbuda has been witnessing a hive in activity at both the VC Bird International Airport and Heritage Quay from the first day of home-porting for the cruise season.

According to the information, 714 passengers arrived on two charter flights from London Gatwick International Airport and Manchester International Airport in the United Kingdom on Saturday. Several others arrived on scheduled flights from Virgin Atlantic and British Airways.

It is reported that the passengers arrived to board the Arvia and Sea Dreams cruise, both of which are using Antigua and Barbuda as a home port.

Moreover, 660 passengers departed through the charter flights which shows a significant uptick in economic activity as a result of home porting, with taxi operators being busy transporting passengers between both ports.

Notably, home porting started in Antigua and Barbuda in January 2023 and it has been giving a lot of boost to the tourism industry, injecting directly into the overall economy.

On November 16, 2024, Antigua Cruise Port celebrated the inaugural homeporting day with P&O’s Arvia cruise. The port marked the commencement of its season by welcoming the cruise alongside the arrivals of SeaDream 2 and Viking Sea.

P&O Cruises’ newest Excel class vessel, Arvia boasts a capacity of around 5200 passengers and 1800 crew members. The ship is journeying on a 14 day Caribbean voyage with Antigua Cruise Port serving as the beginning point.

The event also underscored the growing prominence of Antigua as a homeporting destination in the Caribbean region. 

Other than Arvia, the port also welcomed Viking Sea and SeaDream II. SeaDream II is a luxury mega yacht which can accommodate 112 guests and offers an intimate cruising experience while Viking Sea is known for its elegant design and cultural enrichment program.

The port has been boosting its facilities to support homeporting operations and in November 2023, the port successfully conducted simultaneous homeporting operations with Emerald Sakara and Arvia. This highlighted its capability to manage several large vessels efficiently. 

The strategic initiative of the port strives to position the island as a premier homeporting hub in the region that will offer passengers with seamless embarkation experiences and access to the diverse attractions.
 
As the season moves forward, the port is anticipating to welcome more vessels which will further strengthen its status in the cruise industry.