Tobago welcomes over 2000 passengers onboard Zuideram

Trinidad and Tobago: The Zuideram cruise made its inaugural call to the Port of Scarborough, Tobago, on Sunday.

The ship, which has a capacity of 2,272 passengers, was the 4th ship of the year to visit the destination.

Streams of passengers made their way onto the port and to the various tours around the island that awaited them. Some even stopped for a little lesson on the national instrument.

The Ministry of Tourism of Tobago held a brief plaque exchange ceremony to welcome the Zuideram on her maiden call.

Also, the cruise passengers were welcomed by local performers who dressed up in various costumes and entertained them.

Several cruise passengers also shared glimpses as they disembarked to explore the island. A user named Karen Talbott shared the glimpses and said, "Tobago - Birdwatching, hike in the Rain Forest and waterfall, views of the Atlantic and Caribbean sides of the Island." [caption id="attachment_66119" align="aligncenter" width="960"] PC - Facebook account of Karen Talbott[/caption]

Another passenger, Rob Watkins, shared his experience and said that on January 3, he boarded the Holland America cruise ship Zuiderdam in Fort Lauderdale, embarking on a 128-day journey around the world.

"A few sea days later, we arrived in our first port: Scarborough, Tobago," he added and said that he met the owner of Bar Code, Dave, who gave him an overview of Tobago.

Dave also let the passenger taste a variety of rums, following which the cruise passenger purchased Tobago's currently available best rum for $120 a bottle. He also purchased Puncheon, 150 proof, to mix on the cruise ship.

"Today is our first stop (Scarborough, Tobago) on our 128-day 2024 World Cruise on the Holland America ship Zuiderdam. We left Fort Lauderdale on January 3, along with about 1200 other passengers, to experience this fabulous adventure. The temp is 78 and humid. The official language is English, and 75% have a Christian faith, with 18% being Hindu," shared a user named Cheryl Morrow, who is travelling with her husband Ernie Morrow. [caption id="attachment_66120" align="aligncenter" width="623"] PC - Facebook account of Cheryl Morrow[/caption] "We were greeted with traditional music and dancing on the pier. It being Sunday, we are starting out our day in Tobago worshipping at a local church, passing a few goats on our 20-minute UPHILL walk to church," she shared her experience in Tobago.