News

St Kitts Predicting Record Cruise Traffic for 2013/2014 Season

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - September 4, 2013

Above: Port Zante (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

St Kitts and Nevis says it is predicting a significant increase in cruise traffic for the upcoming season.

The government is predicting around 750,000 cruise passengers, by conservative estimates, according to Tourism Minister Ricky Skerritt. That would be a record for the twin-island federation.

“What’s exciting about this coming season is that we have 183 ship days,” the Minister said in a release. “In other words, in a calendar year for the first time in our history we have passed about 130 in terms of ship days. We have gone up significantly by the number of ship days and that means that over the course of 365 days on average, every other day there will be a ship.”

There will also be 103 days when there will be one ship in port in Basseterre, he said.

Even what Skerritt called a “conservative figure” of 750,000 cruise arrivals would but the destination in the “big time,” he said.

“Last year we were at about just 600,000, so it’s a massive increase this year,” he said. “Two years ago we were able to bring the Allure of the Seas which is called an Oasis-class ship as a test case and that has proven to the world, the capacity of our pier.”

St Kitts is currently planning to build a second pier at Port Zante in Basseterre, which Skerritt said was “very close to starting its construction.”

Popular Posts

A.R. Carnegie, 74, Caribbean Legal Legend

A Caribbean Journal Editorial He was never a judge, never a Queen’s Counsel. His robes were never silk. But A. Ralph Carnegie was a Caribbean John Marshall if there ever was one. Ralph Carnegie, A.R. in scholarly texts, passed away […]


Robinson: Manatt Approached Government

Lackston Robinson, Jamaica’s Deputy Solicitor General, testified that it was the law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, and not the Jamaican Government/Jamaica Labour Party, that made the first move to solicit a contract to lobby the White House, he told […]


IMF Back in Antigua on Performance Review

The International Monetary Fund has sent a team to Antigua for a third review of the nation’s performance on a stand-by arrangement with the IMF. According to the Ministry of Finance, the IMF team began the review Monday and will […]


Related Posts four seasons yachts

Four Seasons Yachts Will Launch in the Caribbean

Following the debut of Ritz-Carlton’s new luxury cruise line, Four Seasons is set to launch its own boutique line, one that will begin operations in the Caribbean. Four Seasons Yachts will kick off its inaugural season in 2025-2026 with winter […]


Virgin Voyages Has a New CEO

virgin voyages miami

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages has a new chief executive officer, following the retirement of founding CEO Tom McAlpin.  The company’s current president, Normal Saverimuttu, has been named as its new CEO.  McAlpin is transitioning to the role of chairman […]


The Bahamas Is Seeing “Explosive” Visitor Growth 

on the beach in nassau

Tourism is booming in The Bahamas, with visitor numbers ahead of where they were before the onset of the pandemic.  The country’s erformance has outpaced projections for the first seven months of 2023, with more than 5.89 million total visitors […]


SUBSCRIBE!

Sign up for Caribbean Journal's free newsletter for a daily dose of beaches, hotels, rum and the best Caribbean travel information on the net.


No. Thank You