Photo #1 – Sen. the Hon. Richard Skerritt
Good news for cruise tourism stakeholders in St. Kitts.The 90,000-ton Jewel the Seas, which has a passenger capacity of 2,500, began making its stop at Port Zante today, becoming the second ship to berth during the summer months. The Royal Caribbean cruise vessel, which made its inaugural call to St. Kitts in November 2011, arrived from St. Maarten this morning (Monday) with 2,432 passengers and a crew of 850. It later sailed for Antigua.
Photo # 2 – Jewel of the Seas docked at Port Zante
(Photo by Erasmus Williams)
Jewel of the Seas will visit St. Kitts on two straight Mondays, skip the following Monday and visit for two straight Mondays then skip the next Monday during the off season and into the upcoming 2013/2014 season.
In making the announcement in the National Assembly in May last year, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Sen. the Hon. Richard Skerritt that inspite of the intense competition from global ports, and after months of relentless lobbying, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line had decided to return to summer cruising in the Caribbean.
"They have decided to redeploy the Jewel of the Seas to the Caribbean from May to October 2013 to offer 25 sailings out of San Juan, Puerto Rico," said Mr. Skerritt.
He said it will result in 13 additional calls to Port Zante during the summer of 2013.
Jewel of the Seas will operate with three Southern Caribbean itineraries in the summer and autumn, and two itineraries in the winter and spring 2013-14 seasons.
Departing every Saturday, the seven-night, round-trip itineraries include calls at a range of exciting ports throughout our sub-region, including St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Antigua, and the U.S.V.I., as well as St. Maarten, Barbados, Aruba and Curacao," he said.
Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas returns for the winter 2013-14 season to bolster Royal Caribbean’s offerings from San Juan, alternating two seven-night Southern Caribbean itineraries.
Four years ago, St. Kitts welcomed the first summer ship from carnival cruise lines in 2008 and continued to schedule this weekly ship year-round to Port Zante, with the Carnival Valor which arrived last Friday from St. Maarten with 3,375 passengers.