Antigua and Barbuda welcome over 11,000 cruise visitors on December’s bustling first day

Antigua and Barbuda: The first day of December started with a bustling day for the cruise industry of Antigua and Barbuda as more than 11000 visitors arrived on Sunday. 

These passengers arrived onboard six cruise ships, five of which docked at St John’s Harbour in Antigua and Star Flyer cruise docked in Barbuda. 

Of these cruises, the Arvia marked its second seasonal visit and brought a total of 5219 passengers followed by Carnival Venezia which brought 4062 passengers, Oceania’s Vista bringing 956 passengers, Viking Sea with 502 passengers as well as Explorer 2 with 372 passengers. 

Meanwhile, in Barbuda, a total of 145 cruise visitors from the Star Flyer enjoyed the serene island as they disembarked from the cruise vessel. 

It is reported that local businesses and taxis thrived on the first day alone of December as they served a total of 11 256 visitors. 

As the passengers disembarked on the island, several of them took to Facebook to share their glimpses as they explore the beautiful island in the Caribbean region. 

A user named Jill Klages shared several glimpses while exploring Antigua and said, “The first port of our cruise, St. John’s Antigua! Finally stepped off the Marina and onto the Caribbean. We took a helicopter tour of the Montserrat Volcano. It was amazing and I did not get sick at all despite some awesome flying. Some pics before we went up.”

Another user noted, “Sunset cruise from St Johns, Antigua was an enjoyable evening, with free flowing rum punch, beer and Captains special (but no ice cream).”

Moreover, the tourism officials reported that a total of 40,000 visitors are expected to arrive in Antigua and Barbuda throughout the week, giving a major push to the visitor arrivals this month. The cruise season is moving forwards on a positive note and promises a vibrant boost to the overall local economy.