Destinations from around the Caribbean gathered this week for the Seatrade Cruise Global conference, the world’s leading cruise industry event.

Officials from Antigua and Barbuda to the U.S. Virgin Islands were on hand to promote their ports of call.

Most officials Caribbean Journal talked to were quite bullish about the region and the cruise industry at large, and the energy at Seatrade was defnitely at a far higher level than in years past.

That included both ports like Antigua, which has a major plan to transform its port in St John’s (and brought a high-level delegation including Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority Chairman Ricky Skerritt and CEO Colin James, along with newer ports like the Tortola Pier Park, which helped bring a large contingent to the British Virgin Islands’ port.

The Caribbean contingent was easily the liveliest of the show on the opening day on Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale, from a pannist at the US Virgin Islands booth to a DJ at St Maarten’s exhibit.

— Alexander Britell and Guy Britton in Fort Lauderdale