Saint Lucia has begun work to prepare for the return of cruise tourism to the island. 

Royal Caribbean’s Celebrity Cruises brand will be returning to Saint Lucia this summer, calling on the island in a mid-July itinerary with its Celebrity Millennium cruise ship.

That’s part of Celebrity’s relaunch in the Caribbean, which will begin with a homeport at Port St Maarten.

Saint Lucia’s government says preliminary talks with Royal Caribbean include a commitment that both passengers and crew over 18 will all have been vaccinated, along with full compliance with pre-arrival testing. 

Tour operations will also be conducted within a “green corridor” set up on the island. 

“We are enthusiastic that with the advent of science and technology amid this pandemic, we can prepare for a silver lining,” said Saint Lucia Tourism Minister Dominic Fedee. “The impact of the cruise sector has been noted the world over and its absence has left an impression on our island’s people. We are therefore looking forward to working within strict protocol to see the successful resumption of the sector.”

— CJ