St. Kitts hits historic ‘Million Mark’ in cruise ship arrivals

Port Zante in St. Kitts

The St. Kitts Tourism Authority and Ministry of Tourism are pleased to announce that St. Kitts received its millionth cruise passenger on July 16, reaching the key number of arrivals that gives the island marquee port status for the first time in its history.

“I am deeply gratified to welcome over one million cruise passengers to our shores,” said the Hon. Mr. 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.”

CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority Ms. 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, and we are working hard to ensure that we keep the ships and their guests returning to our shores.”

St. Kitts reached the one million cruise passenger mark on Monday morning (July 16) with the arrival of guests from Royal Caribbean International’s Freedom of the Seas. The ship, which has a capacity of 3,782 guests at double occupancy, docked at the island’s Port Zante cruise pier at 8:00am.

Tourism Minister Lindsay Grant led the welcome delegation and selected the millionth passenger upon disembarkation, who was treated to a complimentary ½ island tour. The historic occasion was further commemorated with special t-shirts given to arriving passengers and everyone being treated to an experience of the island’s culture with live performances by a steel pan band, masquerades and more in a grand celebration befitting the importance of the milestone.

“We are very pleased to be the cruise line that brought the millionth passenger to St. Kitts,” said Federico Gonzalez, Associate Vice President, 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.”

So far this season, the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. cruise lines, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises, have made a total of 102 port calls to St. Kitts, bringing over 350,000 cruise visitors to the island.

Including calls from all international cruise lines over the nine-month period from October 2017-June 2018, the total number of cruise ship calls into St. Kitts grew from 358 to 486 as compared to the same period from 2016-2017, an increase of over 35 percent.

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12 Comments

  1. Rick
    July 23, 2018

    Well, why did St.Kitts have such a remarkable increase this season? Not because someone in government did an extraordinary job, not because the marketing was world class. This huge increase was due to massive re-routings when St.Maarten, Tortola and Dominica were not able to host scheduled ships after the storms for months or even the whole season. And talking about being last in the cruise ship sector: Look at the numbers of St.Vincent. Btw, the cruise berth in central Roseau is one of my favourites in the Caribbean, because the pier is in a top location and leads you right into Dominica and not into a Duty-Free-Disneyland.

  2. July 18, 2018

    Ask Robbie what it was when he became minister of tourism and what it is now. With the worst minister of tourism in the world, Dominica’s numbers are the lowest in the region.

  3. Anthony P. Ismael Minister of Free Pmpers
    July 18, 2018

    I lived in St. Kitts while this terminal was being constructed. You compare this terminal and the crap on the Bayfront with no toilet for locals or arriving passengers. In fact, there is no comparison. The end.

  4. Rupert cadette
    July 18, 2018

    Seems to me that politicians in Dominica travel with blinders like horses that they only see where the next foot is going to be planted. They also travel in tunnels. Don’t they see the facilities and infrastructure in the other Caribbean islands? They have Dominica like a retirement home. No proper airport, no proper hospital, no library, no proper port, government buildings look like stables -no maintenance and the lust goers on. Dominica looks like a country in 1940’s. We are in 2018. There us no development. I sincerely hope that posting this news article was meant to embarrass our government. There is no forward thinking in Dominica. One toilet in the so called Douglas/ Charles. Only one cruise ship can dock in Dominica at a time unlike Antigua where Grey can entertain four. Shame! Shame! Shame! Our politicians need to makes space for progressive people who see when they travel.

  5. July 17, 2018

    Not surprised by such a land mark; because the Prime Minister has made Good Governance his motto; Transparency and Accountability are their watchwords; can someone please tell that to the Punjab PhD whose STUPIDITY AND IGNORANCE continues to drag our country to the bottom of the MORALE and ECONOMIC pit in the entire Caribbean.

  6. %
    July 17, 2018

    Beautiful and impressive!.Those misleaders in the DLP travel on a daily basis to unknown destinations but cannot take a page from the good books of these countries.I call them wicked and evil leaders.

  7. Ibo France
    July 17, 2018

    In terms of natural beauty, not one of the OECS countries can compare favorably with Dominica. In terms of development, Dominica lags light years behind her neighbors. So, the clear and unmistakably difference is governance . While most of the other governments are seriously concerned about the advancement of their people and country, the Skerrit-led regime cares only about winning the next general elections. The people’s wellbeing is an afterthought. The country’s development is secondary to the party’s agenda, retaining power at any cost. To retain power, this administration has created a brand of politics that stirs up enmity, bitterness and conflict among brothers and sisters. Milk the country’s tragedies for political gains. Truly despicable and shameless!

  8. Dominica
    July 17, 2018

    Dominica is doing better than the rest: says the labourites. What a dark curtain that hangs over their eyes, i just do not get these people. Dominica is the last in everything in the region, health, education, industry, tourism etc and is still I love my PM. That government needs to GO they not performing!

  9. MuddUp
    July 17, 2018

    Skerrit doing so well we last in every area in the caribbean

  10. Peperit
    July 17, 2018

    Very impressive
    congratulation to them
    Dominica soon reach there…….with our new cruise village on the horizon!!!

    • Neville
      July 17, 2018

      Dominica…? Don’t get me started. They are last in everything! Come to think of it they are actually top in corruption.

  11. Floridian Diaspora
    July 17, 2018

    Congrats to St Kitts on such a remarkable achievement. Wonder what our tourism minister down here would think about that. He would congratulate them to but feel great shame in the process of doing so. Time and time again we see Caribbean islands that are less naturally capable than us and some of them which are naturally constipated when compared to Dominica break records and out do us in so many different ways. All we do down here hold meetings and plan. Seems like all they do in those meetings is talk about how they planning another plan. Then they hold a next meeting to discuss how they doh have money to finance the last plan so they come up with a future plan to have more plans. This labor party must be renamed the “planet” government because that’s all they do

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