By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

Saint Lucia’s expanded cruise port just got a major new visitor.

Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas visited the expanded Pointe Seraphine berth this week.

Since the completion of the Pointe Seraphine berth extension project, the island continues to see the arrival of mega vessels, which the previous facility was unable to accommodate.

“We are looking forward to many return calls to the island,” said the ships captain, Toni Caine, speaking at a brief ceremony on board the vessel during her inaugural call last week.

“I would like to thank SLASPA for having done the extension to the pier to accommodate bigger ships,” said Ian Herman, Manager of Foster and Ince Cruise Services Saint Lucia.

Tourism Minister Dominic Fedee, who was present to receive the vessel, assured the captain that all is being done to improve the visitor experience.

“We continue the year with significant growth and intend to invest significantly over the next six years to develop the tourism market,” he said.

During its inaugural visit, the Freedom of the Seas was carrying a total of 6000 people, inclusive of passengers and crew