Tag Archives: St Lucia

Cruise ship passenger jailed after £200,000 of cocaine found in suitcases

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Image result for MV Arcadia

A cruise ship passenger has been jailed for using a Caribbean holiday as cover to bring cocaine worth more than £200,000 into the UK.

Kevin Enright, 55, was arrested as he disembarked a ship at Southampton Docks on October 31.

Almost three kilos of cocaine was found in his suitcases when he was stopped by Border Force officers.

Enright was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison for importing a class A drug, following a trial at Southampton Crown Court, the BBC reported.

National Crime Agency investigators said Enright, from Dunstable, Bedfordshire, claimed the cruise on P&O Cruises ship Arcadia had been paid for following a win on the horses, and that he had innocently purchased the suitcases.

When officers searched his luggage, they found traces of drugs within a false lining of two suitcases, one of which had been inside the other.

The NCA was able to prove he had collected the cases in St Lucia, and that he had been in contact with others suspected of involvement in the importation.

Enright, who was found guilty of importing class A drugs, had a previous conviction for drug dealing for which he was sentenced to four years in prison in 2005.

NCA senior officer Bob Holness said: “Our investigation involved liaison with law enforcement partners in the Caribbean, and through that, we were able to prove that Enright’s story was made up.

“It became clear that he had contacts with others involved in drug trafficking on both sides of the Atlantic.”

P&O Cruises’ Britannia to make St Lucia debut in 2016

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P&O Britannia

P&O Cruises’ newest ship, Britannia, is to sail from St Lucia for the first time as part of its winter 2016-17 deployment in the Caribbean.

An expanded fly-cruise programme of new seven-night cruises alongside traditional 14-night winter sun itineraries went on sale yesterday (Thursday).

Britannia will run a total of 28 Caribbean cruises from St Lucia or Barbados during its second winter season in the region.

The ships will depart from the new Caribbean port for the first time on November 12, 2016 on a seven-night itinerary with calls into Dominica, Antigua, St Maarten and Barbados.

The line described St Lucia as a “must-see” Caribbean destination for its passengers.

Marketing director, Christopher Edgington, said: “Introducing new itineraries which all depart or return St Lucia will offer a new dimension to our Caribbean cruises.

“St Lucia is a popular destination with passengers and no other cruise line has it as a home port, so we are looking to make the most of this by offering an exciting range of shore excursions to maximise the time there.

“It is also the first time we have offered a seven-night Caribbean cruise option. These new week-long itineraries will appeal to those wishing to escape the cold weather and see a number of destinations but who don’t have the time for a longer cruise.

“For passengers with more leisure time, our 14-night cruises provide the perfect opportunity to see more than seven islands in one holiday.”

Prices for seven-night Caribbean fly-cruises start at £1,099 per person for an inside cabin and a 14-nights from £1,299, including return flights from Gatwick.

Nine weeks on the dock for fire-damaged cruise ship

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The damage caused by a fire that broke out on Oceania Cruises’ Insignia will take nine weeks to repair.

On December 11th 2014, the engine room of Insignia went up in flames while the vessel was docked in St Lucia, during its ten-day voyage that departed from San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Two contractors and an Insignia crew member who had been working in the engine room died as a result of the fire. One other crew member suffered injuries and was treated in hospital for smoke inhalation, but released a day later. Fortunately, no passengers were hurt.

Subsequently, the remainder of the sailing was cancelled and those on board were evacuated and flown to Miami.

The ship has been taken out of service, with the expected nine-week repairs leading to the cancellation of a 24-day voyage which had been scheduled to depart Miami on December 17th 2014, along with the first three legs of Insignia’s Around the World in 180 Days cruise, which was scheduled to leave Miami on January 10th 2015.

A picture of the Oceania Insignia fire

Insignia’s Around the World cruise has been rescheduled to commence on March 22nd 2015 and will depart from Singapore.

Kevin Sheehan, president and chief executive of Norwegian Cruise Lines – parent company of Oceania Cruises – said: “The timing of repairs has unfortunately required the cancellation of Insignia’s holiday voyage along with the modification of the world cruise.

“We understand how disappointing this news must be to our valued guests and we extend our sincere appreciation for their cooperation and understanding.”

Passengers who have already booked to embark on the world cruise can choose to go on the new date and receive a full refund for the cancelled days, along with an additional 25 per cent of the refunded amount in the form of a future cruise credit.

Or, they can opt for a full refund and a 25 per cent future cruise credit based on the pro-rata cruise fare on the three cancelled segments.

For those who choose to continue with the cruise, Oceania will provide free business class airfare to Singapore and a one-night pre-cruise hotel stay.