St Kitts and Nevis: Five cruise ships docks at Port Zante, bringing thousands of guests

St Kitts and Nevis is certainly the most desired location for cruise ship passengers, as five different ships docked at the Port Zante on Thursday, bringing thousands of guests.

It was a busy day for cruise tourism at Port Zante after thousands of visitors entered the shores, creating jobs for hundreds employed in the tourism sector. The ships include Viking Sea, Royal Clipper, Silver Spirit, Allure of The Seas, Marella Discovery.

Lindsay Grant, Minister of Tourism, said the rise in cruise ship calls to St. Kitts and Nevis for December and for the following three months is a strong sign of cruise lines' trust in the destination.

From Sunday, December 12 to Saturday, December 18, twenty-one (21) different cruise ships are expected to call on St Kitts, bringing thousands of tourists and hundreds of job possibilities.

"We got six inaugural calls since we [restarted] the industry in November," the Minister added. The Viking Orion, Celebrity Apex, Aida Perla, Enchanted Princess, Seabourn Ovation, MSC Seaview, and three more are scheduled to arrive in St. Kitts before December 31, 2021, for a total of nine additional calls," added Grant.

He said the cruise line partners' continued trust and confidence in the destination's capacity to produce a high-quality tourism product.

"We don't only deliver for ourselves, but we distribute for aloe rub [vendors], hair braiders, our artists, street vendors, taxi and tour operators, and retailers, because everyone benefits from tourism,"

According to the Minister, cruise tourism is expected to be much better in the first three months of 2022.

"There will be seventy-seven (77) calls in January, sixty-two (62) calls in February, and sixty-two calls in March" (62). So, between January and March 2022, we'll introduce 211 calls to Port Zante," Minister Grant continued.

In the Caribbean Journal's annual Caribbean Travel Awards, the Lindsay Grant was just named Caribbean Tourism Minister of the Year.

Minister stated during his presentation in the National Assembly that the award is a reflection of his entire team at the Ministry of Tourism and the St. Kitts Tourism Authority's dedication and hard work.