St Kitts: Port Zante thrives with 1000s of passengers coming aboard 5 cruises on Friday

St Kitts and Nevis: Port Zante was bustling with a huge number of visitors from across the world on Friday as St Kitts welcomed five cruises simultaneously. The island received over 12000 passengers on a single day, showcasing the thriving productivity and economy of St Kitts and Nevis. The destination witnessed a remarkable surge in cruise activity, pushing the tourism industry forward with limitless progress. St Kitts welcomed Carnival Venezia, Celebrity Beyond, Norwegian Sky, Valiant Lady, and Emerald Sakara, and Carnival Venezia made its inaugural call to the nation. [caption id="attachment_69096" align="aligncenter" width="549"] St Kitts welcomed Carnival Venezia, Celebrity Beyond, Norwegian Sky, Valiant Lady, and Emerald Sakara on Friday[/caption]

The luxurious cruise Carnival Venezia brought around 4090 passengers, Celebrity Beyond brought 3260 passengers, and Norwegian Sky brought 2004 passengers, followed by Valiant Lady, which brought 2770 passengers. The island also welcomed a smaller cruise, Emerald Sakara, which brought around 100 passengers.

To welcome the Carnival Venezia on its maiden call, the Tourism Ministry hosted a brief plaque exchange ceremony aboard the cruise. Minister Marsha Henderson said that the team is elated to extend a warm welcome to the cruise and its arrival underscores the Ministry’s commitment to providing exceptional experiences for the valued visitors. The Ministry of Tourism of St Kitts shared several glimpses of Port Zante thriving with passengers on its official Facebook account. The glimpses showcased many visitors who were indulging in various types of local offerings. [caption id="attachment_69097" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Cruise visitor seen enjoying with a monkey at Port Zante (PC - Facebook)[/caption]

The arrival of these luxury cruises to the island gives a major boost to the local economy with vendors getting an opportunity to serve their goods and services to the tourists. Passengers also engaged in organised tours, giving huge business to taxi drivers and tour guides.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Denzil Douglas, also lauded the Tourism Minister Henderson for her continuous work in boosting the tourism industry. He shared a picture of Port Zante and said, “They are here (while addressing the visitors), just imagine each passenger spending $20 or more. Hon Marsha and Team are working.”

As St Kitts and Nevis is witnessing a thriving cruise season 2023-2024, the Tourism Ministry anticipated a huge increase in visitor arrivals, pushing the local economy positively.