Celebrity Cruises will be relaunching operations out of the island of St Maarten in June, the company announced this week.
The move to a Caribbean homeport follows last week’s announcement by Crystal Cruises that would relaunch cruises with a homeport in Nassau this summer.
The company’s Celebrity Millennium ship will relaunch from St Maarten on June 5, President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo announced, in a major boon for Port St Maarten, long one of the region’s leading cruise ports.
“Returning to the Caribbean after more than a year away is such a significant moment for us. It marks the measured beginning of the end of what has been a uniquely challenging time for everyone. We have been in constant contact with the leadership of St. Maarten these past months to support each other and share learnings and best practices,” she said. “That we’re able to offer people the opportunity to safely vacation onboard the revolutionized Celebrity Millennium, is incredible, and that we will sail from the magical island of St. Maarten is very special. I am forever grateful for the support and collaboration of the St. Maarten Government.”
The cruise line will be run two different itineraries: one will stop in Aruba, Curacao and Barbados; the other will stop in Tortola, Saint Lucia and Barbados.
“Having a major cruise line such as Royal Caribbean Group’s Celebrity Cruises homeport here is a significant economic milestone for St. Maarten. It’s an historic agreement, the fruit of continuous dialogue and a testament to the strength of our longstanding relationship,” St Maarten Tourism Minister Ludmila de Weever said. “Celebrity Cruises homeporting here will help rejuvenate our economy and drive opportunities for our people. I would like to thank the management team at the Royal Caribbean Group for their commitment to St. Maarten and their confidence in the Ministry of TEATT as a reliable and responsible partner. I look forward to the successful re-launch of their Caribbean cruising.”
Crucially, the relaunched cruises will feature a vaccination requirement, along with a series of other health and safety measures.
In addition, all guests must meet St Maarten’s entry protocols.
For more, visit Celebrity Cruises.
— CJ