Dominica welcomed its first cruise call for the 2023-2024 season on Monday, with the arrival of Mein Schiff 4.
The ship which offers space for up to 2506 passengers was docked at the Roseau Cruise Ship Berth.
“We anticipate approximately 222 cruise calls for this season, a promising increase from 190 calls in the 2022-2023 season,” Tourism Minister Denise Charles said.
According to her, this growth translates to welcoming over 363,000 cruise passengers, a notable rise from the previous season’s 246, 257 passengers.
Charles said, emphasizing quality, the Nature Island Standards of Excellence program has been instrumental in certifying tourism-related offerings.
“Currently, 730 cruise service providers comprising roles from hair braiders to taxi services, enrich our tourism tapestry,” she noted.
Additionally, Charles mentioned that 75 taxi service providers and 50 tour guides were trained and certified to help meet the transportation demand to move organized tours and enhance the value of tours.
Meanwhile, Charles indicated that visitors can look forward to an enhanced shopping experience at the Bayfront which will now showcase 42 uniformly-designed cathedral tents.
She further mentioned that there will be entertainment to captivate visitors with immersive displays of Dominica’s rich culture and performances by local talents.
Charles extends gratitude to all tourism stakeholders for their unwavering support and dedication.
She went on to state that the Government of Dominica remains steadfast in its commitment to Dominica’s reputation as a prime cruise destination.
According to information from seascanner.com, Mein Schiff 4 was built in Finland in 2015 and has a length of 295 metres. To grant the well-known comfort, the ship was renovated in the dry dock in Marseille in February 2020.
The ship is owned by TUI Cruises.
We may be the most blessed island in the Caribbean, but soon we’ll all be sick again from these massive floating Covid incubators.. Covid hasn’t gone away. It is just that the media no longer discusses it and everyone wants to forget.
I’d rather have the Geest Boat come for a load of Bananas, than a tourist boat bringing a crowd of “Bar-Runners.”
If the “uniformly-designed cathedral tents” are the ones shown in the picture, I hope we don’t get a gust of wind.
We may be the most blessed island in the Caribbean, but soon we’ll all be sick again from these massive floating Covid incubators.. Covid hasn’t gone away. It is just that the media no longer discusses it and everyone wants to forget.
You Ibo and Behave go tell that to the bus drivers,the tour operators and vendors Your bunch of negative aholes.It’s a good thing the majority of Dominicans think of you as idiots.Do what you do best,go on social media and paint Dominica black.Shameless.
@Lin clown
You are lost in a foreign country, you only know Dominica when you are given US$50.00 to come here to vote….So stop being a nuisance. It’s the bus drivers and tour operators expressing their disgust and dissatisfaction….Noone else!
The bay front looks a complete mess. Dominica is not ready to be classified as a reputable destination too much infrastructure and DMS work to be done. This Mickey Mouse tourism minister is not up to the job because Dominica should be light years ahead of where it is today, as a tourism destination. .
@Behavd
Long i have advocated for this lady to be dismissed from her post of Tourism Minister. She can’t do the job!! It’s not just the Bay Front that’s in a mess, but Roseau in general, and the route to many of our natural attractions!!
Here we go with the sensational painting of the upcoming tourist season. Speculation is not reality.
This administration is all about deception. Read the second sentence/paragraph of this article. It gives you the capacity of the ship but not an accurate count of the passagers onboard.
I wish for the present tourist season to be the best ever. It means the taxi operators, vendors, tour guides, restauranters and other entrepreneurs will be able to put food on their family table.
Dominica is the most blessed island in the Caribbean with rare and spectacular natural features. It has many rare flora and fauna. Boiling lakes, over three hundred rivers, verdant hills and mountains, abundant sunshine, and it’s surrounded by a sparkling sea. – a perfect tourist paradise. Despite all this Dominica attracts the fewest number of tourists in the OECS.
Where is the cruise village that Roosevelt promised eons ago? Roosevelt!! Only make promises you can keep.