St. Kitts cruise numbers reach the million mark

'I am deeply gratified to welcome over one million cruise passengers to our shores as of today,' said Lindsay F.P. Grant, minister of tourism, international trade, industry and commerce. 'It is particularly significant that this historic occasion is taking place now, as we have over two months left in the 2017-2018 cruise season to increase arrivals even further. Reaching this milestone at this point in time is truly a testament to the strength of our relationships with the cruise lines and to the continuing appeal of our tourism product.'

Successful marketing strategy

CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority Racquel Brown added: 'In the highly competitive Caribbean cruise marketplace, exceeding the million passenger mark for the first time is a highly significant achievement that is a direct result of our successful marketing strategy. Having reached this benchmark, St. Kitts is now considered by the cruise lines to be in the same elite port status category as much larger destinations in the region.

'Cruise passengers clearly enjoy our diverse range of activities and friendly, welcoming people,' Brown said, 'and we are working hard to ensure that we keep the ships and their guests returning to our shores.'

Freedom of the Seas carries millionth cruiser

St. Kitts hit the 1m mark this morning with the arrival of Royal Caribbean International's Freedom of the Seas. The ship dockted at Port Zante cruise pier and was met by a welcome delegation led by Grant. He selected the millionth passenger upon disembarkation, who was treated to a complimentary half-island tour. The historic occasion was further commemorated with special T-shirts given to arriving passengers and performances by a steel pan band and costumed figures.

'We are very pleased to be the cruise line that brought the millionth passenger to St. Kitts,' said Federico Gonzalez-Denton, associate VP government relations Latin America & Caribbean, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 'The island is a long-time, valued industry partner that offers our guests the opportunity to expore lush natural beauty, rich heritage, a wide range of attractions. In addition, our parternship with the tourism team and their ongoing work to continually improve the infrastructure, services and amenities in St. Kitts showcases why it is one of our destinations of choice for our Caribbean itineraries.'

Cruise calls up 35%

So far this season, RCL brands Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises have made a total of 102 calls at St. Kitts, carrying more than 350,000 passengers. Including calls from all international cruise lines over the nine-month period from October 2017 to June 2018, the total number of cruise ship grew to 486, up from 358 in the same 2016-2017 period, an increase of more than 35%.

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