Saint Lucia thrives with record breaking cruise arrivals: 8000 passengers disembark in one day

Saint Lucia was bustling with huge activity on Tuesday (November 10, 2024) as five cruises arrived simultaneously bringing hundreds and thousands of cruise passengers. 

Four of these cruises including MS Insignia, Silver Shadow, Celebrity Summit and Explore of the Seas docked at Port Castries while a smaller adult vessel docked at the Port of Soufriere. 

As these cruises arrived on a single day, the Saint Lucia Cruise Port shared glimpses of the same, noting, “We are very excited to welcome five vessels to our shores! Silver Shadow, Celebrity Summit, Explorer of the Seas, MS Insignia and Le Champlain we wish all passenger and crew a day filled with adventure!” 

According to the information, these vessels brought over 8000 visitors, all of whom disembarked and explored the local tours and offerings of Saint Lucia. 

Four Cruises dock simultaneously at Port Castries  

Port Castries was alive with energy as the four cruise ships docked together, marking another milestone in the record-breaking cruise season of Saint Lucia.  

This success also brings real benefits to ordinary people of the island nation as vendors, artisans and tour operators thrive with thousands of visitors exploring and shopping across the port.  

There has also been a reported boost in jobs as the thriving cruise season has created more opportunities for taxi drivers, tour guides and hospitality workers.  

Meanwhile, there has also been a reported increase in tourism revenue which has been supported by infrastructure, services, and communities. 

Cruise Season 2024-2025 in Saint Lucia 

With the arrival of these huge number of cruises in Saint Lucia almost everyday, the tourism officials are looking forward to a successful season.  

The season kicked off on October 10, 2024 with the arrival of the Celebrity Summit and Rhapsody of the Seas bringing a whopping 4485 and 1756 visitors respectively.  

Reportedly, the tourism officials are expecting to receive more than 823,132 passengers, which would surpass the 2019 record of 789,176. The total cruise calls for the season are anticipated to be 459.