Antigua thrives with cruise activity, welcomes over 10000 passengers on April 1

Antigua and Barbuda: The St John’s Harbour in Antigua welcomed over 10000 visitors who came aboard five luxury cruises on April 1, 2024. Seven Seas Grandeur, Regal Princess, Celebrity Silhouette and Emerald Princess docked at St John’s Harbour, while Emerald Azzurra arrived at Falmouth Harbour. On the same day, Nevis Street Pier, Heritage Quay and the 5th Berth received two cruise ships each, which marked a major boost for local businesses.

The harbour was a hive of activity yesterday as the cruises dropped their anchors and brought thousands of visitors who explored the island.

According to the information by the Tourism Officials of Antigua and Barbuda, a total of 10,820 passengers arrived aboard the five cruises at St John’s. Today, the island is set to welcome Marina and Norwegian Viva which will bring thousands of passengers.

Meanwhile, a total of 27 cruise calls are scheduled for the month of April while nine are schedule for May, signaling the end of the 2023-2024 cruise season in Antigua and Barbuda.

Meanwhile, the Antigua Cruise Port’s Operations Manager is anticipating a busier summer season and said that the full schedule will be finalised soon.

Since the beginning of the cruise season, the island of Antigua has welcomed a huge number of passengers which shows the increasing presence of the island among international cruise liners.

As these passengers disembark to explore the island nation, they try a local rum and indulge in the island’s unique cuisine offerings. Individuals also relax themselves at the Jolly Beach while other get a souvenir from one of the shops at the port.

These cruise passengers give a major boost to the local vendors and also benefit the economy as a whole.

While the population of the twin island nation is just about 95,000, it is anticipated that it will welcome over 800000 passengers by December 2024. It is expected that the island will receive over 400,000 guests by the end of the ongoing cruise season in April.