The US Virgin Islands’ cruise industry has relaunched. 

This week, Celebrity Edge became the first cruise ship to visit the USVI since the onset of the pandemic, sailing out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 

It’s a major step forward for the cruise industry in the US Virgin Islands, long one of the territory’s chief economic drivers. 

“The USVI Department of Tourism welcomes our first cruise call to the Territory in more than a year,” said US Virgin Islands Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte. 

The ship arrived at approximately half capacity, with around 1,500 passengers and 700 crew on board. 

The industry relaunches as the US Virgin Islands continues to see strong tourism performance, with some of the highest visitors totals of any Caribbean destination in the pandemic. 

It’s the first of a series of return calls to the US Virgin Islands over the next few months. 

That will include Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas on July 29; Celebrity Equinox in St Croix on Aug. 18; and Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas on Sept. 28, according to Jayne Halcomb, Director of Destination Development – the Caribbean and the Americas, for Royal Caribbean Group.

— CJ