Mega ships are coming to St Lucia.

The plan is for a $15 million project to extend the Breasting Dolphin Berth at Pointe Seraphine to facilitate the berthing of so-called “mega” cruise vessels.

If all goes smoothly, the island could see its first mega ships by December.

““This Government has made a firm commitment not only to improve Port Castries and consider a location for the establishment of a new commercial port, but also to continue to improve on the cruise ship facilities and by extension to look to the south of the country to establish a major cruise port in Vieux Fort that will complement a number of the economic initiatives that the government has committed itself to,” said Infrastructure, Ports, Energy and Labour Minister Stephenson King.

Projections show a potential 20 percent increase in cruise calls to Port Castries once the berth expansion is completed, along with a 19 percent increase in passenger arrivals.

“This is a global initiative on the part of the government to look to the international arena to see how Saint Lucia can maintain its position and be able to offer two world class facilities, one in the north and one in the south, that will attract international business and place Saint Lucia as the number one cruise ship destination in the Caribbean,” King said.

— Caribbean Journal Staff