Above: Dominica (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Dominica has been negotiating to bring more cruise ships to the island during the summer season, according to Tourism Minister Ian Douglas.

The Minister, who recently returned from talks with cruise officials in Miami, said he met there with a number of cruise lines, both those who already call on Dominica and those who do not.

“One of the major issues that we always want to raise with the ships is the matter of summer calls, and we have been advocating on that and we will continue to do so,” he said.

Douglas also said he had been in talks with Carnival Cruise Lines about a return to the island.

“We also know that not only stakeholders but all of Dominica is always very interested in our discussions with Carnival Cruise Lines as it pertains to their return to the destination,” he said at a press conference this week. “We continue to negotiate and to sustain our dialogue with them and we are hopeful that those discussions, not only with Carnival but all of the cruise lines will be fruitful.”

Dominica saw a 4.5 percent in stayover visitors arrivals in 2012, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism, with a total of 78,965 stayover arrivals.

That is more than any year in the last three years, according to the Ministry.