The 2022-2023 cruise season has officially begun on the French Caribbean island of Martinique. 

The island welcomed its first ship of the season this week at Fort-de-France’s Pointe Simon Cruise Terminal, a visit by Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Equinox ship. 

A total of 2,280 passengers were on board the Solstice-class ship, along with 1,160 crew members. 

The visit also marked the reopening of the Martinique Cruise Village for the first time since the onset of the pandemic. 

The Village includes food venders, local ice cream, coconut water, traditional music and dance performances. 

It also features the new “Martinique Insta Point,” designed by Valorisation Martinique, what officials call a “one-of-a-kind addition” to the capital. 

“We could not be more pleased to welcome once again, cruise passengers to our beautiful Island and especially cruise ships from North America, said Bénédicte di Géronimo, commissioner of the Martinique Tourism Authority.” “Those 2 years of patience has allowed to the Martinique Tourism Authority and all the local partners involved in the cruise industry, to reinvent ourselves, to offer the best experience to our visitors.”

Martinique is forecasting 205 cruise calls this season, with stops by companies including MSC, Costa, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, Norwegian Cruise Line, Club Med, Aida and Ponant among others. 

The next cruise call is scheduled for Oct. 2 when Equinox returns again.