Port St. Maarten Reports Good Pax Reviews and First to Receive Carnival Cruise Line ‘Choose Fun’ Flag

A Port St. Maarten team took the opportunity in Miami, Florida, last week while attending the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Operations Committee meeting, to meet with one of their key stakeholders, namely Carnival Corp./Carnival Cruise Line (CCL), to discuss the country’s performance and passenger reviews so far for the season.
Carnival Cruise Line executives also used the opportunity to present Port St. Maarten Management with the first Carnival ‘Choose Fun’ flag as a symbol of partnership.
CCL Executive, Leon Suttcliffe said that Port St. Maarten is the first public Port to receive their rebranded flag since they rolled out their new marketing campaign earlier this year.
The Carnival Corp. executives reported that the destination St. Maarten experience ratings are near pre-Irma ratings, and they have been noting an upward trend comparing to January this year when they resumed operations to the destination.
Carnival’s ‘Choose Fun’ campaign is meant to inspire those who have never cruised to book a cruise. Based on research by the cruise line, Carnival is offering experiences that vacationers enjoy on land making them also available and just as enjoyable while on the sea.
Acting Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs Cornelius de Weever: “I commend Port St. Maarten Management and the Supervisory Board for their proactive efforts in getting the word out that the destination is open for business since the passing of Irma more than seven months ago. The Carnival Cruise Line ratings reveal that we are nearing the pre-Irma ratings of cruise passenger guest’s experiences, and this trend has been upward.”
Port St. Maarten Management were informed that the destination and Caribbean at large are facing a challenge as consumer demand has softened. The statistics indicate severe drops in the interests and marque value of the destinations due to the hurricanes.
“The overall perception that the Caribbean is closed for business is still trending, and we must inform travel agents and industry partners continuously about facilities, tours and attractions as it pertains to re-opening dates on the Island. St. Maarten is performing above average comparing to other destinations that were impacted by the hurricane(s), however we must continue to be innovative country wide if we want to see a further improvement in passenger reviews,” Port St. Maarten Management said on Friday.
The ‘Choose Fun’ campaign will be splashed across paid social media and modular online videos on platforms such as Amazon Video, Roku and Vevo. It will also air on TV in such U.S. states as Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston and Dallas, and during high profile events such as the Grammy Awards’ and NFL Playoffs.
The campaign is a 30-second television testimonial where people who are reluctant to take a cruise were liberated on a Carnival cruise. There are also five-second video snippets with content to match viewer preferences.