St. Kitts’ Cruise Ports See Busiest Week Since 2020

P&O Britannia in St. Kitts with 2 Oasis Class ships and the Celebrity Edge, Photo credit Spacejunkie2

This week will be the busiest in terms of cruise travel for St. Kitts since the island reopened its borders to international visitors.

According to a press release, 21 cruise ships will have arrived by the end of the week across the island’s four ports: Port Zante, Basseterre Harbour, Deep Water Harbour and South Friar’s Bay.

The ships arriving include the Enchanted Princess, Seabourn Ovation, Viking Sea, Allure of the Seas, and the third visit of the Explorer of the Seas. Dec. 16 marked the first day with five ships in port, St. Kitts Tourism Authority wrote.

“This week comes as an optimistic sign that the cruising industry is making an unstoppable comeback in St. Kitts. We see the number of ship arrivals growing weekly,” said the Minister of Tourism, Transport and Ports, Lindsay F.P. Grant. “Our commitment to safety paired with our exceptional tours and on-island experiences are driving high demand for the destination on cruise itineraries, and we expect this to continue well into 2022.”

This record number of ship arrivals comes in conjunction with changes to the destination’s arrival requirements. As of Dec. 11, Port Zante is completely free-flow, enabling cruise passengers to seamlessly integrate into the federation and providing nationals and residents with access to the port. Travel Approved tours, attractions, restaurants and bars are now open to all fully vaccinated travellers, nationals and residents.

“This busy cruise week shows that demand for our destination continues to grow,” said Racquel Brown, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. “The reduced travel restrictions make it easier for cruise and international air travellers to engage their senses and seamlessly immerse themselves in our quintessential Caribbean escape.”

After pausing cruise travel when borders closed in March 2020, St. Kitts and Nevis welcomed back its first ships last July. Since then, the twin-island federation has hosted a steady increase in ship arrivals and has allowed passengers to explore the destination via “Travel Approved” tours and attraction sites.

Princess Cruises Airs Enchanted Princess’ Naming Ceremony

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The Enchanted Princess, the fifth royal-class ship in the Princess Cruises fleet, was officially named in a ceremony and celebration as part of an original production “Our World, Enchanted,” that premiered on the cruise line’s social media channels earlier on Dec. 13.

The show “Our World, Enchanted” – which is now available to watch on-demand – was hosted by Princess Cruises Celebrations Ambassador Jill Whelan and Enchanted Princess Cruise Director Dan Falconer.

According to a press release, the show introduces viewers to the features and amenities of the MedallionClass ship, shares some of the histories of Princess Cruises and culminates in the official naming to welcome the Enchanted Princess into the Princess global fleet.

The ceremony honoured three members of The Explorers Club who serve as the godmothers of Enchanted Princess. The godmothers have been recognized for their achievements in expeditions, oceanography and mapping the oceans – Captain Lynn Danaher, Vicki Ferrini and Jenifer Austin.

“Our World, Enchanted” also includes appearances by newly appointed Princess Cruises President John Padgett, Group President Jan Swartz and Commodore Nick Nash, and provides a look into the interiors, accommodations, entertainment, dining and cocktails available on Enchanted Princess.

The 145,000-ton, 3,660-guest ship represents an evolution of the design platform used for her sister ships – the Royal Princess (2013), Regal Princess (2014), Majestic Princess (2017) and Sky Princess (2019) – offering an elevation of spectacular style and elegance that is distinguished by Princess. The ship’s inaugural cruise season began Nov. 10, with various 10-day Southern Caribbean itineraries, sailing roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale.

New Discovery Princess Floats Out at Fincantieri

The Discovery Princess, the sixth Royal-class ship built Princess Cruises, floated out today at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone.

Interior fittings will now begin, leading the vessel to delivery, scheduled next year for Princess, which is owned by Carnival Corporation.

The 145,000-ton ship is a sister vessel to the Royal Princess, Regal Princess, Majestic Princess, Sky Princess and Enchanted Princess, which were all built and delivered in the same shipyard starting from 2013.

The partnership between the Monfalcone yard and Princess Cruises will continue with two next-generation cruise ships. These will be the largest built so far in Italy with a gross-tonnage of 175,000 tons, will accommodate approximately 4,300 guests and will be the first of the ship owner’s fleet to be dual-fuel powered primarily by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Deliveries are scheduled for 2023 and 2025.