January poised to become “best month ever” for A&B’s cruise tourism industry

20
St. John's Harbour, 5 Cruise ships in December 20, 2021

Four cruise ships are expected in the St. John’s Harbour today boosting industry officials’ prediction that January 2023 will become the country’s best month on record for cruise tourism.

The Antigua Cruise Ports (ACP) has reported that seventy-seven cruise ship calls are booked this month with fifteen calls scheduled this week alone. According to ACP, this month is expected to surpass all previous records for cruise ship calls at the St. John’s Harbour and cruise tourist arrivals to the country. Arriving today are the Seabourn Ovation, AIDA Perla, Marella Explorer and Viking Sea.

Together, they will bring over 6,500 fun-seekers to the country. January also marks another significant milestone for the country as it will become the homeport of the Carnival Arvia.

On 28th January, the Arvia, which has a normal operating capacity of 5,200 guests and 1,800 crew, will use the St. John’s Harbour as the origin of its cruises.

Homeporting will open many economic benefits for the country as passengers arriving in Antigua and Barbuda will be required to conduct business with merchants, taxi operators, restaurants, and other establishments ahead of the departure of their cruises.

According to the General Manager of Antigua Cruise Port, Dona Regis-Prosper, Antiguan and Barbudan travellers booking cruises will now also have the option of beginning their journey at home in St. John’s.

The Arvia will dock at the recently commissioned fifth berth at the St. John’s Harbour. Regis-Prosper disclosed that the Carnival Arvia will homeport in Antigua and Barbuda until 2025.

At the end of this year’s winter tourist season, the arrangement will recommence in November 2023 and continue each year until the expiration of the agreement in 2025.

She added that Antigua Cruise Port will continue to oversee the continued expansion and growth of the country’s cruise tourism sector.

SOURCE: POINTE XPRESS

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]

20 COMMENTS

  1. Congratulations to the Hon. Charles “Max” Fernandez and his team 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩

    • Congratulations?!?! Wha’ for?

      Ever since the Antigua and Nigerian airline fiasco I haven’t seen or heard head nor tail of Max ‘Hide He Face’ Fernández and Colin ‘Invisible’ James.

      Remember their disastrous photo-shoot when the first plane Landed?

      A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES, THAT WAS MORE LIKE A CATASTROPHIC ARRANGED MARRIAGE BETWEEN TWO TOTAL STRANGERS …

  2. Gaston tell Tin Tin work some magic we don’t want Pringle win this seat. He only check for certain people in Old Road, Swetes and All Saints so it’s time to make him uncomfortable are you making it too easy for him, he too damn boast…

    • You speak for yourself @RED RED. The UPP may not be perfect in your myopic eyes, however they are a million times better than what’s been on offer over 50 years of Birdism and Browneism.

      Furthermore, Jamale Pringle will not only win his seat, but further down the line, I see him leading the UPP into a second term after the Honourable Harold Lovell retires or steps down.

      TAKE THAT TO THE BANK BOSS … 👍

  3. Last week September firsr week of October with perhaps one or two ships in. Nice and peaceful. January 77. Wow. Tens of thousands of people. Crowded beaches. No restuarant seats. Packed roads and city streets. No taxis and so little space on the island to enjoy.good luck with that. Back in September me thinks.

  4. This is the kind of news that the UPP and their cronies are deaf to. They don’t want to hear anything positive about Antigua and Barbuda. As far as they are concerned, the sky is falling. And they are living in their own make-believe world. A world where things are so bad that everyone is suffering, and the country needs to be rescued. The problem is rescued from whom and from what? If we need any rescue is from those Laggards, Loosers and Charlatans who think Antigua People crazy enough to put them there to run the country of the cliff like in from 2004 thru 2014. And bring in the IMF to help them.

    • You ABLP acolytes keep harking and barking about the IMF loan – you boring set ah people … 💤

      However, could you delusional worshippers let us know your responses to the missing $2 Billion Dollars from the CIP initiative by Gaston Browne @ From The Sideline?

      Oh, and whilst I’m here, could you also explain the secrecy and non-accountability regarding NAMCO?

      • … Brainwashed clowns that think that critical thinking is knowing how to tie-up Gaston’s shoe laces 👞👞 … 😂😂😂

  5. Listen, I can’t celebrate this because I just heard that another plane has come in from Nigeria!!! I am very alarmed at this! A lot of other Antiguans are alarmed at this also! What the heck is going on in this country?!! Is anyone vetting these people?! Do they have to submit police records to make sure they are on the up and up? We are a small country and we cannot handle this large influx of persons coming in who are obviously looking for help. My God, help please Antigua?!!! Mark my words, America and other regional governments are watching. If this continues, we will face serious repercussions! Mark my words!!

  6. AND does that mean that the vendors will make some change or will GLOBAL PORTS make the money

    • Global Ports is not in the business of driving taxies, nor are they in the business of Tour Operators or selling souvenirs to the tourist. They do not operate a restaurant either to sell the tourists meals or drinks. So, use that little brain you have, and you will realize who will be making money.

      • Have you ever heard of networking? Every successful businessperson and entrepreneur understands this simple concept except and joint ventures/partnerships go hand in hand.

        More verbal diarrhea @ From The Sideline.

  7. HOME PORTING starting any day now 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
    #ABLP
    #NextLevel
    #EconomicPowerhouse
    #SaferWithLabour

    🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩

  8. “Antigua Cruise Port Manager, Donna Regis-Prosper, told Pointe Xpress that this month is on course to break Antigua and Barbuda’s records for cruise tourist and cruise ship arrivals with 77 calls expected.”

    C-O-N-G-R-A-T-U-L-A-T–I-O-N-S to this GASTON BROWNE Administration for the HARD WORK and DEDICATION!!!

  9. From the feedback I am getting from both taxi drivers, store owners and souvenir vendors, while there are ships coming they are bringing more poorist than tourists.

    While we have to settle for these low spending poorist on these joke liners, the oasis class ships and carnival cruise lines are bypassing us going to places like st. Kitts because the escalator own by HH&Brown can’t move the rock, it can only dip up water for all these years

    • The feed from the people is that they will outright REJECT MR. IMF ROMANTIC RHYTHMS WADADLI POWER CAN’T ABST HOTEL RIPOFF ABIB COLLAPSER BANKING-SECTOR COLLAPSER ANTI-UWI FIVE ISLANDS CAMPUS BAICO COLLAPSER

Comments are closed.