MSC Cruises’ Seaside made its inaugural visit to the Port of Spain in Trinidad on Thursday, December 14, just as passenger arrivals this season reached the 20,000 mark.
The arrival of the MSC Seaside marks the 18th call for the port so far for the 2023-24 season.
The ship arrived in Trinidad while sailing its 14-night Southern Caribbean voyage which departed from Fort de France, Martinique on December 9.
MSC Seaside’s visit brings passenger arrivals to 21,011 since the start of the 2023-24 season in October. Among these, an estimated 13,800 passengers have disembarked, with 25 percent opting for curated organized tours.
After leaving Trinidad, the MSC headed towards St Georges, Grenada. The itinerary also includes calls in Pointe A Pitre, Guadeloupe; Roseau, Dominica; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St Johns, Antigua; and Basseterre, St. Kitts before returning to Fort de France.
The port’s projections indicate that approximately 88,000 passengers and 30,000 crew will visit Trinidad’s shores during the 2023-24 season, representing an estimated 81 percent increase in passengers from last season.
After a 21-month operational pause, the Grandeur of the Seas is resuming service for Royal Caribbean International today. The vessel is also launching a new program for the company that features Barbados as a new homeport.
Sailing from Bridgeport, the Vision-class ship is now offering a series of island-hopping itineraries throughout the Southern Caribbean and Latin America.
The program includes new ports of call for the Royal Caribbean, with itineraries ranging from seven to 14 nights.
For its first cruise, the Grandeur is offering the “Southern Caribbean Explorer” itinerary that features calls in Grenada, Dominica and St. Lucia, in addition to three new ports: Scarborough, Tobago; Port of Spain, Trinidad; and Kingstown, St. Vincent.
Another itinerary offered is the “ABC Caribbean Adventure Cruise” featuring Grenada, Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba, Trinidad and one day at sea.
In January, a longer 14-night cruise also includes stops in Central and South America, with calls to 11 ports, including Limón, Costa Rica; Colón, Panama; and Cartagena, Colombia.
The vessel is the third in the series of six ships and entered service originally in 1996. Built in Finland, it has a capacity for 1,950 guests and 74,140 tons.
In 2012, the vessel underwent a major bow-to-stern revitalization. During the five-week-long, $48 million drydocks, the Grandeur received venues first introduced on Oasis-class ships, including new dining options such as the Giovanni’s Table Italian trattoria and the Park Café casual eatery.
The ship’s seven-deck Centrum atrium was also transformed into a chic and lively new space that features an array of daytime activities, as well as unique nighttime entertainment with high-flying aerialists.
The Grandeur of the Seas is the first of three ships that are resuming service for Royal Caribbean International in December.
On Dec. 16, the Brilliance of the Seas is set to welcome guests back for a series of cruises departing from Tampa, while, on Dec. 23, the Enchantment of the Seas resumes service in Baltimore.
With the three vessels returning, Royal Caribbean will close out the year with 20 of its ships back in revenue service.
Royal Caribbean International’s Enchantment of the Seas is on the scene in Trinidad’s Port of Spain where 307 Trinidad and Tobago nationals are onboard the vessel and hoping to go home.
The ship arrived on Friday, and following an agreement between Royal Caribbean Cruises and Trinidad government officials, the ship will stay for a 14-day quarantine period.
If the crew show no symptoms they will be allowed to disembark and travel home.
To set a baseline, local doctors and nurses were onhand on Friday dressed in full PPE gear to test all crew aboard the ship that is planning to disembark. Those individuals will now spend 14 days in quarantine on board the ship.
The ship is expected to stay at anchor off Trinidad for a 12-day period, before returning to a pier for another round of testing.
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