Cruise tourism arrivals on track to smash all records

Two and a half months into the year, cruise tourism arrivals are on track to smash
all records for tourist arrivals for a single calendar year.
That’s according to the Operations Manager for Antigua Cruise Port, Rawle
Reynolds, who disclosed that both arrivals and the number of cruise calls have
increased from January to mid-March 2024 compared with the same period last
year.
“The season is going very well so far this year; including us having the best day
ever in tourist arrivals on record. On Tuesday March 12, we welcomed 15,818 on
that day. A new record for cruise tourism arrivals for Antigua and Barbud. Overall,
more than 21-thousand cruise passengers arrived here last week,” he exclaimed.
On Tuesday, a total of six cruise ships called at Antigua and Barbuda. Five vessels
– The Enchanted Princess of the Princess Cruises, Costa Serena and Costa
Pacifica of the Costa Lines, AIDA Perla of AIDA Cruises and Explorer of the
Seas from Royal Caribbean International – were docked at the St. John’s Harbour.
The sixth vessel, SeaDream 11 of the SeaDream Yacht Club called at the
Falmouth Harbour.
Reynolds reported that the first half of the of March, cruise ship calls had totaled
39 calls with 71,981 passengers. The global figure for the first two and a half
months is 189 cruise calls with 371,784 passengers. This compares favourably with
the 160 calls with 285,106 passengers for the comparative period of 2023.
While the winter cruise season ends at the end of April, the ACP Operations
Manager expects the summer season (May to October) to be more robust than in
previous years. So far, fifteen ships are scheduled to call during that period, up
from two or three cruise ship calls in previous years.
He said the complete list for the summer season will be finalized by the end of the
month.