Cruise figures for May and June up from same period in 2012
The Port of St. Maarten is looking forward to welcoming another new vessel that will be calling at the destination, namely Norwegian Getaway in February 2014.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) will take delivery of the 146,600 gross tonnage Getaway in late January 2014, earlier than originally scheduled. The vessel carries 4,000 cruise passengers and 1,600 crew and will sail out of the Port of Miami to the Eastern Caribbean.
Port management is of the opinion that 2014 will be a very good season and that the 2013 season will also see a positive result. Available cruise figures for the last two months, May and June 2013 when compared to the same period in 2012 shows a +6898 difference. For May-2013 the Port of St. Maarten received 80.681 (for 2012 was 76.476) and for June-2013 79.904 (for 2012 was 77.211). The totals for those two months are May/June-2013 160.585 (for 2012 was 153.687).
New vessels calling at the Port will add to the existing fleets of cruise vessels that visit the destination thereby increasing cruise passenger numbers.
The German Meyer Werft shipyard will deliver the Norwegian Getaway three months earlier than planned. The ship’s transatlantic sailing will depart from the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands on January 16, 2014, and will include a stopover in England where guests can also embark, followed by nine days at sea before arriving in Miami on January 27, 2014.
Norwegian Getaway will sail seven-day cruises from Miami to the Eastern Caribbean beginning on February 1, 2014, with ports of call including St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and The Bahamas.
Port management of the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies is looking forward to welcoming another new vessel to the Port of St. Maarten in February 2014. The ship has many new features which cruise passengers will very much welcome besides visiting the beautiful destination of St. Maarten/St. Martin.
Norwegian Getaway will feature a dazzling display of fireworks on every cruise. As guests dance the night away under the stars in the open-air Spice H20 venue at the aft of the ship, a mesmerizing color-filled fireworks show will light up the night sky, right above the ship. The fully-produced show is a visual masterpiece that is set to music, creating an incredible finale to the cruise.
Aqua Park is one of Norwegian’s biggest features, a five multi-story water slide. Norwegian Getaway and her sister-ship, Norwegian Breakaway, are the first cruise ships to feature the Free Fall two side-by-side slides where guests will stand up and have the floor drop from underneath, propelling them into a thrilling loop. Offering another first with a twist are two additional side-by-side twister slides called The Whip – that deliver an unforgettable adrenaline rush as they plunge guests on a spiral race to the finish line.
PHOTO CUTLINE: Norwegian Getaway