Port St. Maarten Management met with representatives from MSC Cruises USA last week at the company’s office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as they prepare a campaign focused on promoting St. Maarten as a beautiful and vibrant destination.
Port St. Maarten Management said that they are proud to inform citizens and stakeholders that MSC Cruises has arranged to have the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders on the Island on May 1st as they capture photos and video for their Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders Annual. The cheerleaders will also be participating in a segment of the second day Grand Carnival parade.
One of the most visible entertainment groups in all of professional sports, the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders have traveled to more than 30 countries on five continents over the past decade and continue to be an iconic and international face of NFL Cheerleaders. The cheerleaders are on the sidelines for all home games and are extremely active in the community; visiting schools and hospitals, as well as charity and corporate events.
“This is huge for the destination especially at this time when demand for Eastern Caribbean cruises has been challenging due to the overall perception that the entire Caribbean was “wiped out” by the hurricanes.
“This is our opportunity for us as a destination to put our best foot forward and capitalize on this opportunity not only to showcase that we have the best Carnival in the region, but also that we are the most friendly and hospitable cruise destination in the Eastern Caribbean.
“We thank the Hon. Acting Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs Cornelius de Weever for supporting this initiative along with the President and board of the St. Maarten Carnival Foundation,” Port St. Maarten Management said on Wednesday.
The marketing campaign will also include the filming of a music video featuring Emmy-nominated recording artist Alexander Star.
Star’s song “Pass the good vibes around,” delivers a bright and uplifting energy that invites the world to spread love and share positive vibes. “Working with MSC Cruises is a blessing, and this video will highlight that St. Maarten and Puerto Rico are back in business with great vibes,” said Star. Star will be on the Island on April 30 and May 1.
Port St. Maarten Management has also asked the Charlotte Brookson Academy of the Performing Arts to participate with a small choir for segments of the video.
“MSC Cruises is thrilled to be supporting St. Maarten and helping our cruise guests ‘Rediscover this great island,’ said Bonnie Levengood, senior vice president of MSC Cruises. “Through this marketing campaign we hope to show our travel agent partners and consumers that the island is back up and running, including some of the hottest spots such as Maho Beach, and that there are a wide variety of activities for tourists to do while visiting.”
“As a destination we are now still at the starting line of the race, the race to recovery and regaining our competitive edge. We must be innovative and hospitable to our guests. The economy on the Island is dependent on the cruise product, and we need all hands-on deck.
“We have shown that we are resilient and can deliver experiences to our esteemed visitors, however there is much work to be done still in terms of full economic recovery. We would like to thank MSC Cruises for launching this campaign and placing resources to show the outer world that destination St. Maarten, the Friendly Island, is back in business as we push for them to come and Rediscover this great island,” Port St. Maarten Management said on Wednesday.
Swiss-based MSC Cruises is the world’s largest privately-owned cruise company and the number one cruise line in Europe and South America.
The MSC Cruises fleet currently comprises 14 ultra-modern, highly innovative and elegantly designed ships. Under its ambitious industry-unprecedented €10.5 billion investment plan, the fleet is set to expand to 24 mega-cruise ships by 2026. To date, MSC Cruises has designed six new ship classes, all prototypes that push the boundaries of marine architecture and design.